2023 Baltimore Ravens Season

The 2023 season was the Baltimore Ravens' 28th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 16th under head coach John Harbaugh. Baltimore made their second consecutive postseason appearance, having improved on their 10–7 record from the previous season.

The Ravens' NFL-record preseason winning streak was snapped at 24 games when they lost to the Washington Commanders in the second week of the preseason.

Both Nick Moore and Trayvon Mullen suffered season-ending injuries before the season started and Marlon Humphrey missed the beginning of the season due to a foot injury that required surgery. J. K. Dobbins also suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 1. By Week 4, 20 players had suffered injuries, including all three of the Ravens' primary running backs, and they would also lose Mark Andrews and Keaton Mitchell to injuries as well, although the former returned for the playoffs. Despite these injuries, the Ravens had their best season since 2019, when they went 14–2. They clinched the first AFC playoff berth in Week 15 after beating the Jacksonville Jaguars. They won the AFC North and clinched the No. 1 seed for the second time in franchise history (after 2019) with a blowout Week 17 victory over the Miami Dolphins. The Ravens finished the season with a 13–4 record, including 10 wins over teams that finished with winning records (an NFL record), five of which came against teams that entered the game as division leaders who were three games or more over .500. They also held a lead in all but one game during the season, which was the season-finale loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in which most of their starters were resting and didn't play.

The Ravens defense also led the league in sacks, points per game, and takeaways, becoming the first team in NFL history to lead in all three categories. Quarterback Lamar Jackson won the season's NFL MVP award, his second.

The Ravens defeated the Houston Texans 34–10 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs to advance to their first AFC Championship Game since 2012 before losing to the defending and eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs 17–10 in that game. This was the first time in franchise history that the Ravens hosted the AFC Championship Game, the first time the city of Baltimore has hosted the game since January 1971, and the first time in franchise history the Ravens hosted more than one home playoff game in a single postseason.

The Baltimore Ravens drew an average home attendance of 70,597 in 9 home games in the 2023 NFL season, the 11th highest in the league.

Offseason

Free agents

Signings

Players lost

Offseason notes

Draft

Draft trades

Staff

Coaching changes

Final roster

Preseason

The loss to the Commanders ended the Ravens' NFL record 24-game preseason winning streak.

Regular season

Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: Baltimore Ravens 25, Houston Texans 9

Despite a somewhat shaky offense performance, the Ravens defeated the Texans in their season opener 25–9, starting 1–0 for the second straight season. This was also the first game in NFL history to end with a 25–9 final score. However, several key injuries also occurred during the game, including a season-ending Achilles injury to RB J. K. Dobbins.

Week 2: Baltimore Ravens 27, Cincinnati Bengals 24

The Ravens offense improved from their previous week's performance and recorded 415 total yards in 27–24 upset road win over the Bengals. The Ravens went into halftime with a 13–10 lead before getting a crucial interception by S Geno Stone off of Bengals QB Joe Burrow after the Bengals had driven into the red zone on their first drive of the third quarter. The Ravens quickly converted the turnover into a TD drive and held off the Bengals the rest of the way. QB Lamar Jackson had 237 passing yards and 2 TDs to go along with 54 rushing yards while Gus Edwards added 62 rushing yards and a TD. With the win, the Ravens improved to 2–0.

Week 3: Indianapolis Colts 22, Baltimore Ravens 19

The Ravens blew a 19–16 lead with possession of the ball in the final two minutes of 4th quarter and lost to Gardner Minshew and the Colts, 19–22, in overtime, on a 53-yard field goal by Matt Gay, the fourth 50+ yard field goal made by Gay in the game, an NFL record. Lamar Jackson had 303 total yards and two rushing touchdowns, but also lost one of two fumbles; another fumble was lost by Kenyan Drake. Justin Tucker was short on a potentially game-winning 61-yard field goal with :01 left to go in regulation as well. With the upset loss, the Ravens fell to 2–1.

Week 4: Baltimore Ravens 28, Cleveland Browns 3

Coming off the upset loss to the Colts, the Ravens dominated the Browns en route to a 28–3 rout. QB Lamar Jackson accounted for 213 of the Ravens’ 296 yards of total offense along with all four touchdowns. (two rushing and two passing to Mark Andrews) Meanwhile, the Ravens defense recorded three interceptions and four sacks of Browns’ QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who was starting in the place of the injured Deshaun Watson. With the win, the Ravens improved to 3–1.

Week 5: Pittsburgh Steelers 17, Baltimore Ravens 10

The Ravens gained 335 yards compared to the Steelers' 289 and picked up 19 first downs compared to the Steelers' 17. However, the Steelers won the game due to several Baltimore miscues. Most notably, Baltimore was plagued by nine dropped passes, including some that would have resulted in big gains and touchdowns. Furthermore, near the end of the first half, the Ravens had a 10–3 lead and possession of the ball in field goal range for star kicker Justin Tucker. On a fourth and two, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh planned to run a hard count and send Tucker out to attempt the kick and extend the lead. Instead, Baltimore center Tyler Linderbaum mistakenly snapped the ball on the hard count, causing Ravens players to be surprised and turn the ball over on downs. Finally, Lamar Jackson threw a costly interception in the red zone after Pittsburgh punt returner Gunner Olszewski lost a fumble to set the Ravens up with a goal to go situation and a chance to extend the Raven lead to two scores. The Steelers eventually took advantage of the Ravens' mistakes and took their first lead (which they would not relinquish) on a George Pickens 41-yard touchdown reception with less than two minutes remaining in the game. This also would end up being the Ravens only road loss of the season.

Week 6: Baltimore Ravens 24, Tennessee Titans 16

NFL London games

K Justin Tucker converted six field goals (he had a PAT blocked) and the Ravens defense forced two turnovers (albeit one was off of a muffed punt) and recorded six sacks in a 24–16 win over the Titans in the Ravens’ second ever game in London. The Ravens won despite converting only one of their six red zone drives into a touchdown (the other five ended in field goals) and losing S Kyle Hamilton when he was ejected for a targeting penalty on Titans WR and former Raven Chris Moore in the third quarter. Jackson led the team in passing (223) and rushing (62) yards with his lone TD pass going to WR Zay Flowers, which was the first of Flowers’ career. With the win, the Ravens improved to 4–2.

Week 7: Baltimore Ravens 38, Detroit Lions 6

In week 7, the division-leading Lions visited the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens scored 14 points in the first quarter via a seven-yard touchdown run from Lamar Jackson and a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Nelson Agholor. The Ravens scored 14 points in the second quarter via an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Mark Andrews and a two-yard touchdown run from Gus Edwards, which made the score 28–0 in favor of Baltimore at half-time. The Ravens extended their lead in the third quarter via an eight-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Andrews. The Lions finally got on the board in the fourth quarter via a 21-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs. The Ravens scored the final points of the game via a 32-yard field goal by Justin Tucker, making the final score 38–6 in favor of Baltimore. With the win, the Ravens improved to 5–2.

Week 8: Baltimore Ravens 31, Arizona Cardinals 24

Behind a career day by RB Gus Edwards and two interceptions by the defense off of Cardinals’ QB Josh Dobbs, the Ravens overcame some inconsistencies on offense and held off the Cardinals for a 31–24 win. Edwards had 19 carries for 80 yards and a career-high three touchdowns along with two receptions for 14 yards. With the win, the Ravens improved to 6–2.

Week 9: Baltimore Ravens 37, Seattle Seahawks 3

For the second time in three weeks, the Ravens blew out a division leader with a 37–3 rout of the Seattle Seahawks. Undrafted rookie Keaton Mitchell ran for 138 yards and a touchdown on nine carries; he had not had a rushing attempt prior to this game, and he was named the FedEx Ground Player of the Week for his performance. The Ravens would rush for 298 yards and three touchdowns as a team while the defense held the Seahawks to just 151 total yards on offense. WR Odell Beckham Jr., who was playing on his 31st birthday, also caught his first touchdown as a Raven in the fourth quarter. With the win, the Ravens improved to 7–2.

Week 10: Cleveland Browns 33, Baltimore Ravens 31

Despite taking an early 14–0 lead, leading by as much as 15 points in the third quarter, and being up 31–17 with 10 minutes left in the 4th quarter, Baltimore allowed Cleveland to score 16 unanswered points and lost as Dustin Hopkins kicked a game-winning field as time expired. Lamar Jackson led the team in passing and rushing, but also had a ball batted in the fourth quarter that led to a pick-six. With the loss, the Ravens fell to 7–3.

Week 11: Baltimore Ravens 34, Cincinnati Bengals 20

The Ravens completed a season sweep of the Cincinnati Bengals with a 34–20 win at home. QB Lamar Jackson threw for two touchdowns and RB Gus Edwards ran for two more. However, the Ravens lost All-Pro TE Mark Andrews to a severe ankle injury, although he would return during the team's playoff run. With the win, the Ravens improved to 8–3.

Week 12: Baltimore Ravens 20, Los Angeles Chargers 10

The Ravens defense forced four Chargers turnovers in five drives, helping the Ravens to overcome a sluggish offensive performance deep into the fourth quarter. The Chargers had a chance to tie or take the lead late in the fourth quarter down only 10–13 after a Justin Tucker missed FG, but they turned the ball over on downs after failing to convert a 4th and 6 from the Baltimore 46 yard-line just after the two-minute warning. WR Zay Flowers then scored on a rushing TD, his second TD of the game, and the Chargers turned the ball over on downs again on the ensuing drive, preserving the 20–10 win and improving the Ravens’ record to 9–3 as they headed into their bye week.

Week 14: Baltimore Ravens 37, Los Angeles Rams 31

In a surprisingly back and forth shootout, backup punt returner Tylan Wallace returned a punt 76 yards for a walk-off overtime touchdown for a 37–31 win. Jackson threw for 316 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception while also rushing for 70 yards. He led the Ravens on a go-ahead touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter before the Rams tied it at 31-all with a field goal with :07 left in regulation. With the victory, the Ravens improved to 10–3 and took control of the AFC's number one seed when the Miami Dolphins lost to the Tennessee Titans the next day.

Week 15: Baltimore Ravens 23, Jacksonville Jaguars 7

The Ravens became the 1st AFC team to clinch a playoff berth with the 23–7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars along with losses by both the Denver Broncos and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Jaguars made multiple mistakes that cost them points on their last four drives of the 1st half. Down 0–3, Jaguars K Brandon McManus missed back-to-back field goal on consecutive drives before QB Trevor Lawrence inexplicably fumbled the ball away while scrambling on a 3rd and 17 deep in Baltimore territory. On the last drive of the half following a Baltimore TD that gave them a 10–0 lead, Lawrence completed a 36-yard pass to WR Zay Jones to give them 1st and Goal at Baltimore 5-yard line with less than 30 seconds to go in the half. However, despite having no timeouts, the Jaguars tried to run another pass play instead of spiking the ball to stop the clock. It backfired as WR Parker Washington caught a pass and was tackled in bounds after gaining only a yard, which caused the clock to run out before the Jaguars could spike it. The Jaguars would score a long TD on their first drive of the 2nd half to close the gap to 7–10, but the Ravens outscored them 13–0 the rest of the way to secure the victory. QB Lamar Jackson threw for 171 yards, a TD, and an INT, while also leading the team in rushing with 92 yards. However, the Ravens did lose rookie RB Keaton Mitchell when he suffered an ACL tear early in the fourth quarter, ending his season. With the win, the Ravens improved to 11–3.

Week 16: Baltimore Ravens 33, San Francisco 49ers 19

Christmas Day games

Despite both teams coming into this game at 11–3, the Ravens were large underdogs (+6

Things got off to a rough start, with intentional grounding called in the endzone on Lamar Jackson after he tripped over a referee, giving the 49ers a safety and thus a 2–0 lead, which the 49ers would extend to 5–0. However, the Ravens would settle down and forced four Brock Purdy interceptions (he was later knocked out of the game due to a stinger in the fourth quarter) while Jackson led the offense to seven consecutive scoring drives to open up a 33–12 lead. The 49ers attempted to come back in the fourth quarter, but the game was sealed when the Ravens picked off Sam Darnold in the end zone with less than two minutes to go as the Ravens won by a final score of 33–19. This win moved Baltimore to 12–3 on the season, along with sealing a 7–1 season road record.

Week 17: Baltimore Ravens 56, Miami Dolphins 19

The Ravens won the AFC North and clinched homefield advantage throughout the playoffs with a 56–19 blowout win over the Miami Dolphins, their fifth win over a division leader in the 2023 season, which made up for the big lead they blew against the Dolphins in Week 2 of the previous season. QB Lamar Jackson threw for 321 yards and career-high tying five touchdowns and finished with a perfect passer rating, the third one of his career and his second against the Dolphins; he also rushed for 35 yards. Rookie WR Zay Flowers had three receptions for 106 yards, most of which came on a 75-yard touchdown reception from Jackson in the second quarter; it was Flowers first 100-yard receiving game as a pro. This was also the first game to end with a 56–19 final score. With the win, the Ravens improved to 13–3 and snapped their two-game losing streak to the Dolphins.

Week 18: Pittsburgh Steelers 17, Baltimore Ravens 10

The Ravens rested multiple key starters, including Lamar Jackson, for their season finale at home against the Steelers. For the first time all season, the Ravens never led at all in a game, as they lost 10–17. The Ravens ended their season 13–4, extending their losing streak to the Steelers to three games, extending their losing streak in Baltimore against the Steelers to four games, and being swept by the Steelers for the third time in four years.

Standings

Division

Conference

Postseason

Schedule

Game summaries

AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (4) Houston Texans

This was the second postseason meeting between the Ravens and Texans. The first was the 2011 AFC Divisional Round, which the Ravens won by a score of 20–13 in Baltimore.

Despite a ragged offensive start in the first half, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ offense would settle into a groove in the second half, outscoring Houston 24–0. Though not getting a takeaway nor recording a sack on rookie quarterback C. J. Stroud, the Ravens defense dominated Houston. They did not allow any offensive plays by Houston inside the Ravens' 25 yard line nor gave up an offensive touchdown. Houston's only points came by a field goal and a punt return touchdown in the first half. The Baltimore crowd noise also caused a litany of Houston pre-snap penalties. Baltimore would eventually win by a final score of 34–10, advancing to their first AFC Championship Game since 2012, their first home AFC Championship Game in franchise history and the first in Baltimore since the Baltimore Colts hosted in 1971. This was also their first home playoff win since the 2012 AFC Wild Card.

Jackson completed 16 of his 22 passing attempts for 152 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 100 yards with two rushing touchdowns.

AFC Championship: vs. (3) Kansas City Chiefs

This was the Ravens' fifth appearance in the AFC Championship Game and second postseason meeting against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs were playing in their 6th consecutive AFC title game and the Ravens were attempting to reach their third Super Bowl in franchise history. The Ravens also hosted the AFC title game for the first time in franchise history.

The game was a relatively low-scoring game to decide the AFC's representation in Super Bowl LVIII. Both teams struggled offensively as the score was 17–7 at halftime, with the Chiefs scoring 10 points in the second quarter. The Ravens ended up turning the ball over a total of three times, with the final two turnovers coming during crucial drives during the fourth quarter. In the third quarter Zay Flowers fumbled the ball while plunging to the end zone goal line thus both damaging the points attempt and turning over the ball.Sports Illustrated report
accessed on 1st February 2024 The Ravens found themselves down 17–7 with 10:35 to go in the fourth quarter. The Ravens drove down the field to the Chiefs' 25-yard line until QB Lamar Jackson made a crucial mistake, throwing into triple coverage that was intercepted by Chiefs safety Deon Bush in the end zone. Despite the interception, the Ravens' defense allowed no points on the drive following the interception and the Ravens received the ball again. The Ravens would go down the field before settling for a field goal to cut the Chiefs' lead to seven. The Chiefs received the ball with 2:34 to go in the fourth and ultimately iced the game with a 32-yard pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling to seal the Chiefs' second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl.

Statistics

Team leaders

Source: ''Pro-Football-Reference.com''

League rankings

Source: ''ProFootballReference.com''

Individual awards

Regular season

Postseason

References

External links

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{{2023 NFL season by team

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Baltimore Ravens seasons
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AFC North championship seasons