Washington makes a short trip to Baltimore to take on the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 5. Washington is looking to get above .500, while the Ravens are trying to rebound from a tough loss that ended their undefeated start.
Washington vs. Ravens 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
The Ravens and Washington are both trying to establish themselves as playoff contenders when they face off at M&T Bank Stadium this week.
Washington looked like it was headed for a disastrous season after an 0-2 start, but the team rattled off two straight wins and is right back in the mix for the NFC East crown. Kirk Cousins has bounced back from his poor start with five touchdown passes to just one interception in the past two games. With the Cleveland Browns shutting down DeSean Jackson in Week 4, Cousins was still able to complete three touchdown passes, two of them to tight end Jordan Reed. Washington came away with the 30-21 win, improving to 2-2.
Cousins isn’t the only Washington player starting to heat up. Running back Matt Jones, who was limited early on due to a preseason shoulder injury, gashed the Browns with 117 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. The team also forced three turnovers, with Josh Norman picking off Cody Kessler and the defense recovering two fumbles. And Reed continues to emerge as one of the best tight ends in football, hauling in 25 catches for 263 yards and the two scores in four games. Things are looking up for the team after a slow start.
The Ravens got to 3-0 on the skin of their teeth, but the Oakland Raiders finally caught them for their first loss of the season. They made a wild comeback from a 21-12 deficit in the fourth quarter, with Steve Smith rattling off a 52-yard catch-and-run touchdown and Terrance West punching it in from the goal line to give Baltimore a 27-21 lead with 3:36 left.
However, the defense buckled on Oakland’s final drive, allowing Derek Carr to hit Michael Crabtree in the back of the end zone just a minute later. The Ravens’ last-ditch comeback effort fell short this time and they dropped to 3-1, putting them in a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers for first place in the AFC North.
Despite the loss, there were a lot of positive notes for Baltimore to take away. Smith looks like he’s fully back from his torn Achilles injury, turning the clock back 10 years on his touchdown run. West finally gave the running game some life, rushing for 113 yards and the touchdown on 21 carries. His emergence made Justin Forsett expendable -- the veteran was inactive on Sunday and released on Tuesday. The Ravens are also expected to have rookie Kenneth Dixon back from injury this week, giving the backfield another dynamic weapon.
Baltimore’s defense is also playing at a high level once again, ranking first in the league with just 256 yards allowed per game. Although Carr had a big day with four touchdown passes, they did a fine job shutting down the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, and Buffalo Bills in previous weeks.
The Ravens still have some question marks, but that 3-0 start will carry them far -- they’re well on their way to forgetting last year’s 5-11 debacle and should stay in the playoff race for much of the year.
How to watch
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Place: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
TV: FOX
Announcers: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Laura Okmin
Online: Sunday Ticket, Fox Sports GO
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