They almost blew it. Honestly, if you turned the TV off with five minutes left in the fourth quarter, you probably assumed the Baltimore Ravens had things well in hand. But the final score—a 27-24 victory over the Cleveland Browns—doesn't even begin to describe the chaos that unfolded at M&T Bank Stadium last night, January 16, 2026.
It was ugly.
Lamar Jackson didn't look like the MVP frontrunner for three quarters. He was erratic. The offense felt stagnant. But when you ask who won the Ravens game last night, the answer isn't just "Baltimore." The answer is a defensive unit that finally realized they can't keep giving up 400 yards of passing offense if they want to survive the AFC North gauntlet.
The Ugly Truth Behind the Box Score
Look, a win is a win in the NFL. You don't get extra points for style. However, the Ravens' performance last night was a microcosm of their entire 2025-2026 campaign: flashes of absolute brilliance buried under mountain-sized piles of mental errors.
The first half was a total slog. Baltimore went into the locker room up 10-3, but it felt like they should have been down by two touchdowns. Cleveland’s pass rush, led by an ever-menacing Myles Garrett, lived in the backfield. Jackson was sacked four times in the first thirty minutes. Four. That’s a recipe for a loss 90% of the time.
But then the third quarter happened.
Baltimore came out and looked like a completely different team. Derrick Henry—who is somehow still a human wrecking ball at his age—rumbled for a 42-yard gain on the opening play of the half. That single run shifted the entire energy in the stadium. The Ravens scored on three consecutive possessions. It looked like a blowout. Then, the "Old Ravens" defense showed up, the one that likes to make every fan in Maryland reach for the blood pressure medication.
🔗 Read more: Cowboys Score: Why Dallas Just Can't Finish the Job When it Matters
How the Defense Stood Tall (Eventually)
We have to talk about Roquan Smith. If he isn't the heart of this team, I don't know who is. With the Browns charging back and the score sitting at 27-24 with less than two minutes to go, Cleveland had the ball at the Baltimore 35-yard line. They were in field goal range. A tie was the floor; a touchdown was the ceiling.
Then came the play of the game.
On 3rd and 4, the Browns tried a quick slant to Jerry Jeudy. Smith read it perfectly. He didn't just break up the pass; he nearly took Jeudy’s head off (cleanly, I might add) and forced a fluttering ball that Kyle Hamilton snagged for the game-sealing interception.
That is why Baltimore won.
It wasn't the offense. It wasn't some miraculous Lamar Jackson scramble, though he had a few 10-yard gains that kept chains moving. It was a defense that decided, for once, they weren't going to let a lead evaporate in the final seconds. Head coach John Harbaugh looked like he’d aged ten years in three hours during the post-game presser. He basically admitted that while the win is massive for playoff seeding, the execution was "nowhere near the standard."
Breaking Down the Key Performers
If you're looking for the stat sheet, here is the reality of what happened on the turf:
💡 You might also like: Jake Paul Mike Tyson Tattoo: What Most People Get Wrong
Lamar Jackson finished 18-of-29 for 212 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Not great. But he ran for 88 yards, which is where the damage was really done. When the play broke down, he was the only reason the Ravens didn't punting every other drive.
Derrick Henry ended the night with 115 yards on 22 carries. He is the heartbeat of this offense now. When the Ravens are in "four-minute offense" mode, trying to kill the clock, there is nobody better. He wore the Browns' front seven down until they were gasping for air by the fourth quarter.
The Ravens' secondary is still a concern. Giving up 280 yards to a Cleveland offense that has struggled for consistency is not a good sign for the postseason. Marlon Humphrey had a rough night, getting flagged twice for pass interference. Those are "hidden" yards that almost cost them the game.
The Playoff Picture: What This Means
This win officially keeps Baltimore in the hunt for the #2 seed. With the Chiefs seemingly locking up the top spot, the battle for home-field advantage in the first round is a bloodbath. Had they lost last night, they would have slid down to the #5 or #6 spot, forcing them to play on the road in the Wild Card round.
Nobody wants to go to Buffalo or Cincinnati in January.
The victory ensures that the season finale against the Steelers will actually mean something. It’s a high-stakes environment that the Ravens seem to thrive in, even if they make it as difficult as possible for themselves.
📖 Related: What Place Is The Phillies In: The Real Story Behind the NL East Standings
What Most People Are Missing
Everyone is talking about the interception, but the real story was the Ravens' offensive line in the second half. Tyler Linderbaum was a stone wall. After the disastrous first half where Jackson was getting hit on every dropback, the adjustments made by the coaching staff were elite. They moved to more "max protect" schemes, keeping a tight end in to help the tackles, and it gave Jackson the half-second more he needed to find Zay Flowers in the flat.
Flowers didn't have a huge night—only 4 catches for 55 yards—but his ability to stretch the field horizontally opened up those lanes for Henry. It's the "gravity" of the receivers that people don't see on the highlights.
What You Should Do Next
If you're a Ravens fan or just following the AFC North race, there are a few specific things you need to watch over the next 48 hours to see how this win settles:
- Monitor the Injury Report: Kyle Hamilton stayed down for a few seconds after that final interception. The team called it "precautionary," but his status for next week is the biggest story in Baltimore right now. Without him, that secondary is a sieve.
- Watch the Waiver Wire: There are rumors the Ravens are looking for veteran depth at edge rusher. Last night showed they need a more consistent pass rush that doesn't rely solely on blitzing Roquan Smith.
- Check the Tiebreaker Scenarios: Because this was a divisional win, Baltimore now holds the tiebreaker over Cleveland, which essentially knocks the Browns out of any realistic hope for the division title.
The victory might have been a nail-biter, but in the record books, it's just a "W." Baltimore survives, the defense finds its backbone at the right moment, and the road to the Super Bowl still runs through the AFC North. Expect a lot of film study on those third-down defensive lapses this week. Harbaugh won't let those slide, especially with the postseason looming.
Key Insights for the Week Ahead
The Ravens proved they can win a "grind-it-out" game, which is essential for January football. However, the reliance on Lamar Jackson’s legs to bail out poor offensive line play is a dangerous game to play. Moving forward, look for the Ravens to implement more quick-release passing concepts to negate the pass rush.
Defensively, the focus has to be on communication in the third level. Most of the Browns' big plays last night came from missed assignments, not physical mismatches. If they clean that up, they are the most dangerous team in the league. If they don't, it'll be another early exit in the playoffs.
Keep an eye on the practice squad elevations this Friday. If the Ravens bring up an extra defensive back, it’s a huge tell that Hamilton’s "minor" injury might be more significant than they are letting on. That’s the real story to follow as the euphoria of the win fades into the reality of the stretch run.
The AFC is wide open, and despite the flaws, Baltimore showed they have the grit to stay in the conversation. They didn't just win a game; they won a dogfight. And in this division, that's the only way to survive.