NFL Recap (Oakland-Baltimore)
Posted: Sun November 8, 1998 at 6:01 p.m. EST
BALTIMORE 13, OAKLAND 10
Matt Stover broke
a tie with a 30-yard field goal with 9:14 left as the Baltimore Ravens stopped
their four-game losing skid and ended the Oakland Raiders'
five-game winning streak with a 13-10 victory.
The Ravens (3-6-) overcame the loss of wide receiver Jermaine Lewis, who
sustained a concussion, and free safety Kim Herring, who
dislocated his left shoulder, for their first win since a 31-24 victory
over Cincinnati on September 27th. Both are doubtful for next week's game
at San Diego.
It was the first-ever win in the month of November for the Ravens, who
had previously been 0-8-1, and might have taken some pressure of coach Ted
Marchibroda, whose job has been rumored to be in jeopardy.
"I don't see any pressure or feel any pressure," Marchibroda said.
"You prepare every week and now we'll just get ready for San Diego."
The Ravens were outgained, 356-213 in total yards but were penalized
just four times for 30 yards. Oakland was flagged 14 times for 98 yards.
Jeff George started
at quarterback for Oakland (6-3) after missing three games with a groin
injury, but played only one series before aggravating the injury. That left
the reins to Donald
Hollas, who threw a five-yard touchdown pass to tight end Rickey Dudley to tie the
game at 10-10 with just under 14 minutes left.
Hollas' "Hail Mary" attempt on the game's final play was intercepted
by cornerback Duane
Starks, who leads all NFL rookies with four picks. Prior to the play,
the Raiders trotted out kicker Greg Davis for an apparent 57-yard
field-goal attempt, but it was only a decoy in an effort to draw a
defensive penalty.
"They (the officials) thought that there were 12 men on the field, but
they ruled against it," Raiders coach Jon Gruden said. "I really didn't
feel we could make the long field goal."
Hollas completed 17-of-26 passes for 249 yards with two interceptions,
hitting Dudley six times for 105 yards. James Jett caught five
passes for 92 yards, including a 35-yard pass that was George's only
completion in three attempts.
Defensive end Michael
McCrary continued to dominate the Raiders with four sacks, matching his
career high. He also had four against the Raiders for the Seattle Seahawks on
December 22nd, 1996. McCrary abused rookie left tackle Mo Collins and has 33
sacks in his last 31 games.
"Now that we've won, I'm so overwhelmed I haven't thought about it,"
McCrary said about his sack rampage. "I'll be having good dreams, though.
... It's been rough, it's really, really been rough."
The Ravens broke out to a 7-0 lead with 3:08 left in the first quarter
when Rod Woodson
intercepted Hollas' first pass and ran it back 18 yards for a score.
George tried to play for the first time since suffering the groin
injury on October 4th, but was limping around and never came back for the
second series -- or the remainder of the game.
"He pushed up from the pocket and felt something pull," Gruden said of
George. "I'm not gonna say who's gonna start next week. I give him credit
for trying."
Hollas tried to force the pass to Tim Brown, who was
triple-covered, and Woodson stepped in front of the ball and caught it in
full stride. It was the 45th career interception and the seventh returned
for a score by Woodson. He has two scores among his five interceptions
this season.
"I wasn't supposed to be there," Woodson admitted. "I called a
different play and the guys didn't hear me, so I had to get there. I
didn't anticipate it at all. It was a real treat, seeing it thrown right
at me."
But that was Baltimore's only touchdown, despite 99 yards on 27
carries by Priest
Holmes. Jim
Harbaugh was 10-of-17 for 102 yards and one interception, which came
just prior to Woodson's scoring theft.
"Some of my best plays today were the one I took on the jaw for 15,
the one I took in the knee for 15 and my interception, setting up Rod's
touchdown," Harbaugh quipped.
The Raiders got on the board with 4:43 left in the second quarter when
Davis kicked a 23-yard field goal. But it came after a goal-line stand in
which it appeared the officials appeared to blow a call.
On 2nd-and-goal from the 1, Hollas dove forward and held the ball
fully over the goal line, as television replays showed. But linebacker Jerry Olsavsky came in
with a crushing hit that sprayed the ball into the backfield, where Harvey Williams scooped it
up and and ran to the 1. Hollas was sacked on third down.
"I thought he was in," Dudley said. "It would have turned the game
around."
"I don't have a comment on that," Gruden said. "They said it wasn't a
touchdown and that the ball was live, that's the bottom line."
Baltimore took a 10-3 lead when Stover kicked a 30-yard field goal two
seconds before halftime. It capped a 12-play, 55-yard drive that took
4:41.
Oakland center Barret
Robbins was ejected late in the first quarter for attempting to kick a
Ravens defensive player.
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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