The 2020 season was the Baltimore Ravens' 25th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 13th under head coachJohn Harbaugh. They failed to improve upon their franchise-best 14–2 regular season and were denied their third consecutive AFC North title following a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12 after 18 of their players contracted COVID-19. Despite this, as well as a 6–5 start, the Ravens won their five remaining games to finish 11–5 and after a win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17, clinched their third consecutive playoff berth. The Ravens rushed for 3,071 yds during the regular season, best in the NFL for the second consecutive season.[1]
In the playoffs, the Ravens defeated the Tennessee Titans 20–13 in the wild-card round, avenging their Divisional round loss to the Titans from the previous year. The win marked quarterback Lamar Jackson's first career playoff victory and was the Ravens' first win in the playoffs since beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2014–15 NFL playoffs. Baltimore's season would end in the divisional round for the second straight year, this time to the Buffalo Bills by a score of 17–3.
The Ravens traded their sixth-round selection and offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor to the New England Patriots in exchange for New England's fourth-round selection.[5]
The Ravens traded their fourth-round selection and tight end Hayden Hurst to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for Atlanta's second-round and fifth-round selections (55th and 157th overall).[6]
The Ravens traded the fifth-round selection they received from the Atlanta Falcons to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for defensive end Calais Campbell.[7]
The Ravens traded their second- and fourth-round selections (60th and 129th overall) to the New England Patriots in exchange for New England's third-round selections (71st and 98th overall).[8]
The Ravens traded their seventh-round selection (225th overall) and the 2021 fifth-round pick they acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for Minnesota's sixth- and seventh-round selections (201st and 219th overall).[9]
Lamar Jackson went 20 for 25 for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week.[13] With the 38–6 win, the Ravens became the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive season openers by 30 points or more[14] and the only NFL team to have scored at least 20 points in their last 24 regular season games.
The Ravens defense dominated the Texans, sacking Watson 4 times, with one interception and one fumble returned for a touchdown. Houston was limited to 51 yards total rushing, compared to the Ravens' 230 yards.
Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs 34, Baltimore Ravens 20
This loss snapped a 14-game regular season winning streak dating back to week 4 of last season; it also dropped Jackson's record as a starter to 0–3 against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. It was the Ravens' only multi-score loss of the season.
Week 4: Baltimore Ravens 31, Washington Football Team 17
Lamar Jackson threw for 193 yards and 2 touchdowns, rushed for 52 yards and 1 touchdown making him the fastest player in NFL history to reach 5,000 yards passing and 2,000 yards rushing.[15]
Baltimore's defense dominated the matchup, sacking rookie Bengals' QB Joe Burrow seven times and allowing just 3 points in a blowout win. It also was the Ravens' fourth straight win over the Bengals.
Week 6: Baltimore Ravens 30, Philadelphia Eagles 28
After taking a 17–0 halftime lead, Baltimore survived a furious second-half rally from the Eagles, stopping a two-point conversion, recovering the ensuing onside kick, and getting a first down in the final two minutes to earn their third straight win, and their first ever road win over the Eagles. It was John Harbaugh's 2nd return to Philadelphia.
With the loss, the Ravens fell to 5–2 and lost to the Steelers for the first time since week 9 of the 2018 season. It was also Jackson's first career loss to the Steelers since taking over as starter.[16]
Week 9: Baltimore Ravens 24, Indianapolis Colts 10
After losing a tough game at home to the Steelers the previous week, the Ravens looked to bounce back against the Colts. The Ravens offense was limited to 55 yards of total offense in the first half, the fewest since Lamar Jackson took over as the Ravens quarterback in 2018, and trailed the Colts 10–7 going into halftime. In the second half, the Ravens scored 17 unanswered points while the defense forced a turnover, a punt and 2 turnover on downs against the Colts. With the win, the Ravens improved to 6–2. This was also the franchise's first ever road win in Indianapolis.
Week 10: New England Patriots 23, Baltimore Ravens 17
With the upset loss, the Ravens dropped to 6–3 and ended their record streak for most consecutive regular season games scoring at least 20 points, at 31.
Although it was originally scheduled for Thanksgiving night, a COVID-19 outbreak with the Ravens organization caused the game to be postpone three times. 18 players were out for the Ravens, including QB Lamar Jackson, RBs Mark Ingram II and J. K. Dobbins, FB Patrick Ricard, TE Mark Andrews, WR Willie Snead, DE Calais Campbell, and NT Brandon Williams. With the loss, the Ravens fell to 6–5 and were eliminated from AFC North contention. They would be swept by the Steelers for the first time since 2017.
Most of the Ravens starters, including Lamar Jackson, returned as Ravens defeated the Cowboys. The Ravens as a team rushed for 294 yards and two touchdowns, while Jackson added 107 yards passing and two more touchdowns. The game would have also pitted WR Dez Bryant against his former team, but a positive COVID-19 test right before the game caused him to be held out.
In the highest scoring game in the history of the Browns–Ravens rivalry, as well as in the 2020 NFL season, Lamar Jackson rushed for two touchdowns but left the game for a short time in the fourth quarter with "cramps", allowing the Browns to rally from a 34–20 deficit to take a 35–34 lead. Backup Trace McSorley was forced into the game as a result, but left with a knee injury at the two-minute warning. Jackson then came back out and threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Brown on 4th and 5, putting the Ravens back in front, 42–35. After Cleveland quickly drove down the field and tied the game, Jackson led the Ravens on a short drive that got them into field goal range, where Justin Tucker booted a 55-yard field goal with two seconds remaining to win the game for the Ravens. A safety on the Browns' final play capped the wild finish and brought the final score to 47–42.
After a thrilling shootout win the week prior, the Ravens routed the Jaguars in Week 14 to keep their playoff hopes alive. Lamar Jackson threw for 243 yards with three touchdowns and an interception while also adding 35 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Jackson second touchdown throw was an 11-yard pass to WR Dez Bryant late in the second quarter. It was Bryant's first touchdown since Week 14 of the 2017 season. It also marked the first time since Week 13 of that same season that he along with Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Brown all caught touchdown passes in the same week.[18]
The Ravens won their fourth straight game behind another dominant running performance as the team rushed for 249 yards. Their win coupled with critical losses by the Cleveland Browns against the New York Jets and the Indianapolis Colts against the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers put the Ravens in a "win and in" playoff scenario against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17.[19]
Needing a win to clinch a playoff berth, the Ravens rushed for a club-record 404 yards — the fourth team since 1950 to rush for more than 400 in a single game — and Lamar Jackson became the first quarterback to rush for over 1,000 yards in more than one season as the Ravens routed the Bengals for their fifth straight victory.[20] The Week 17 win secured the Ravens' third straight playoff run under Jackson.[21]
^ abTennessee finished ahead of Indianapolis in the AFC South based on division record.
^ abBaltimore claimed the No. 5 seed over Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory. Division tiebreaker used to eliminate Cleveland (see below).
^ abBaltimore claimed the No. 5 seed over Cleveland based on head-to-head sweep.
^ abCleveland claimed the No. 6 seed over Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory.
^ abNew England finished ahead of the LA Chargers based on head-to-head victory.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.
The Ravens achieved their first playoff win since 2014 and the first for quarterback Lamar Jackson, outscoring the Titans 20–3 after trailing 10–0. It was also Jackson's first win in a game in which he trailed by two. The home team has yet to win in the five playoff games between the two teams.
In a game between the two teams with the most rushing yards during the 2020 season,[33] Baltimore came out on top, outgaining the Titans in total yards 401–209, and holding them to just 51 yards on the ground. Tennessee running back Derrick Henry, the NFL's leading rusher in 2020, was held to just 40 yards on 18 carries.[34][35]
Tennessee scored on their second possession with a 10-play, 75-yard drive, featuring a 28-yard completion from Ryan Tannehill to A. J. Brown, before Brown's 10-yard touchdown catch made the score 7–0.[36] Then, on Baltimore's next drive, Malcolm Butler intercepted a pass from Lamar Jackson on the Tennessee 28-yard line. Tannehill went on to complete a 35-yard pass to Anthony Firkser that set up Stephen Gostkowski's 45-yard field goal, giving the Titans a 10first-quarterter lead.[35] Baltimore responded by moving the ball 65 yards in 12 plays, including a 28-yard completion from Jackson to receiver Marquise Brown. Justin Tucker finished the drive with a 33-yard field goal,[35] that made the score 10–3 five minutes into the second quarter. Then, tr a punt by the Titans, the Ravens tied the score at 10–10 with Jackson's 48-yard touchdown run on a 3rd and 9.[35]
Baltimore took a 17–10 lead with their opening drive of the second half, with Jackson completing 4-of-4 passes for 30 yards and rushing four times for 34 yards, on the way to J. K. Dobbins' 4-yard touchdown run.[35] Following a pair of punts, a roughing the passer penalty against Baltimore defensive end Derek Wolfe turned A. J. Brown's 18-yard reception into a 33-yard gain. Tennessee went on to make the score 17–13 with Gostkowski's 25-yard field goal,[35] on the last play of the third quarter. Baltimore responded with a drive to the Titans' 34-yard line, but Tucker missed a 52-yard field goal.[35] The Titans then drove to Baltimore's 40 yard line, but the drive stalled and they punted. The Ravens responded with another scoring drive as Jackson completed 3-of-3 passes for 30 yards and rushed for 14 yards, setting up a successful 51-yard field goal for Tucker, giving the Ravens a 20–13 lead with 4:23 left.[35] Marcus Peters ended Tennessee's next drive with an interception of Tannehill,[35] enabling the Ravens' offense to run out the clock with four running plays, including a 33-yard run from Jackson.
Jackson completed 17-for-24 passes for 179 yards with an interception,[35] and was the game's leading rusher with 16 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown as he recorded his first playoff victory in his career.[35] Marquise Brown was the game's leading receiver with 7 catches for 109 yards. Tannehill finished the day 18-for-26 for 165 yards, a touchdown, and an interception; Tennessee linebacker Harold Landry had 8 tackles, 2 assists, and 2 sacks.
This was the fifth postseason meeting between the Ravens and Titans. The series was split, with the White team winning all four games.[37] As of 2024, the Ravens are the most recent AFC wild-card team to win and play in the divisional round. In contrast, at least one NFC wild card has advanced to the divisional round every season under the 14-team format.
NFC: Ne
==== AFC Divisional Playoffs: at (2) Buffalo Bills
AFC Divisional Playoffs: (5) Baltimore Ravens at (2) Buffalo Bills;– Game summary
The Ravens' season ended with a game in which they scored the fewest points since John Harbaugh became head coach. Lamar Jackson was intercepted in the end zone for a pick-six, then was later knocked out of the game with a concussion.
In a game largely controlled by defense,[69] Bills cornerback Taron Johnson's postseason record-tying 101-yard interception return gave Buffalo a two-score lead that the Ravens could not overcome.[70] Windy conditions also played a major role in the game, with each team missing two field goal attempts, and one punt went for just 23 yards.[71]
Baltimore took the opening kickoff and drove 46 yards to the Bills' 23-yard line, but the drive ended there as Justin Tucker hit the uprights on a 41-yard field goal attempt.[72] Both teams had to punt on their next drive, and Sam Koch's 23-yard kick gave the Bills the ball on the Baltimore 38-yard line. From there, they drove 17 yards to take a 3–0 lead on a 28-yard field goal by rookie kicker Tyler Bass.[72] After a Ravens punt, Buffalo drove to the Baltimore 23-yard line, but Bass missed a 43-yard field goal kick with 13:21 left in the half. Baltimore fared no better, as their next drive also ended in a missed field goal, this time with Tucker hitting the uprights again from 46 yards.[72] After three more punts, Baltimore finally managed to get on the board, converting a 30-yard completion from Lamar Jackson to Marquise Brown into a 34-yard field goal by Tucker on the last play of the half.[72]
Buffalo took the second-half kickoff and drove 66 yards in 11 plays, the longest a 20-yard completion from Josh Allen to Stefon Diggs. On the last play, Allen's 3-yard touchdown pass to Diggs gave Buffalo a 10–3 lead.[73] Baltimore seemed primed to respond, as they moved the ball to a 2nd and goal from the Bills' 9-yard line with 58 seconds left in the third quarter. But on the next play, Johnson picked off a pass from Jackson in the end zone and returned it 101 yards for a touchdown, increasing the Bills' lead to 17–3.[74] Jackson suffered a concussion on the next drive and had to leave the game, and was replaced at quarterback by Tyler Huntley.[75] Baltimore had two possessions in the fourth quarter, but each one ended in a turnover on downs, with the second ending at the Buffalo 10-yard-line.
Allen completed 23 of 37 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown, and Diggs had 8 receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown. In addition to his interception, Johnson also had six tackles. Jackson completed 14/24 passes for 162 yards and one interception, while also rushing for 42 yards.
^ abcThe Ravens' home game vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers, originally scheduled during Week 7 (October 25), was moved to Week 8 (November 1), which was the original bye week for both teams. The scheduling change was made due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Tennessee Titans' organization that forced the Steelers–Titans game, originally scheduled during Week 4, to be moved to Week 7.[11]
^ abcdThe Ravens' away game vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers, originally scheduled for November 26 on Thanksgiving, was moved to November 29 then December 1, and then finally December 2. The scheduling change was made due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Ravens' organization as seven players tested positive. This forced the Ravens' Week 13 game vs. the Dallas Cowboys, originally scheduled for Thursday Night Football on December 3, to be pushed back to December 8.[12]
