Ravens maul Packers, keep season breathing

GREEN BAY: With their backs to the wall and their season hanging by a thread, the Baltimore Ravens finally looked like the heavyweight everyone expected back in September. Powered by a runaway train named Derrick Henry, Baltimore steamrolled the Green Bay Packers 41-24 on Saturday night, keeping faint playoff hopes alive and reshaping the NFC North race in the process.

Henry was unstoppable. The veteran bruiser carried the ball a career-high 36 times, bulldozing his way to 216 yards and four touchdowns. It was the seventh 200-yard rushing performance of his career, an NFL record that nudges him past legends Adrian Peterson and OJ Simpson. In the frozen air at Lambeau Field, Henry supplied all the heat Baltimore needed.

The win mattered beyond the Ravens’ locker room. Green Bay’s loss officially handed the NFC North crown to rival Chicago, ending any lingering suspense atop the division.

Baltimore entered the night battered, inconsistent, and staring at elimination. Injuries, most notably to Lamar Jackson, and uneven play had dragged a preseason Super Bowl darling to a 7-8 record. Lose Saturday, and the lights would go out. Instead, behind backup quarterback Tyler Huntley and a relentless ground attack, the Ravens delivered their most complete performance of the year.

They struck immediately. Henry capped Baltimore’s opening drive with a short touchdown plunge, setting the tone for what followed. With Jackson sidelined, the Ravens leaned hard into the run game, and Green Bay never found an answer.

Mistakes didn’t help the Packers. A failed fourth-and-1 run by Josh Jacobs turned into points for Baltimore. Later, a mistimed shotgun snap caromed off Malik Willis’ facemask and into Ravens hands, setting up another score. Each miscue was punished.

To Green Bay’s credit, Willis battled. Filling in for Jordan Love, he flashed both arm strength and speed, firing a 39-yard touchdown strike to Christian Watson and sprinting 22 yards for another score himself. Willis finished with 288 passing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and a passer rating north of 130; a performance that won’t be forgotten as his free agency approaches.

But whenever the Packers threatened, Henry answered.

The big back scored three times before halftime, including a punishing run in the final seconds of the second quarter that pushed Baltimore’s lead to 27-14. That touchdown also carried historic weight, moving Henry into fourth place on the NFL’s all-time rushing touchdown list with No. 121.

By then, Ravens fans were left asking the same question: where had this team been hiding all season?

Green Bay tried to rally after the break, but the night took a turn in the fourth quarter when Willis aggravated a shoulder injury and headed to the locker room. Clayton Tune took over, and on his first pass, Ravens corner Marlon Humphrey stepped in front for an interception. A few plays later, Henry pounded in his fourth touchdown, slamming the door shut.

Huntley didn’t dazzle, but he did exactly what Baltimore needed. He threw for 107 yards and a touchdown, added 61 yards on the ground, and avoided the mistakes that can swing games like this. Combined with a defense that capitalized on opportunities, it was more than enough.

For Green Bay, the loss stings but doesn’t end the journey. The Packers are still playoff-bound, though concerns linger on defense, especially without Micah Parsons. Saturday’s inability to slow Henry raised red flags heading into January.

Baltimore’s fate, however, remains out of its own hands. To stay alive, the Ravens now need the struggling Cleveland Browns to upset the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. If that happens, Week 18 would feature a winner-take-all showdown for the AFC North; a prime-time dream scenario for the league.

If not, this long-awaited breakout will stand as a frustrating “what if.”

For one cold night in Green Bay, though, the Ravens finally roared, and Derrick Henry left tire tracks all over Lambeau Field.

PLAYOFF CHANCES

Playoff implications loom large for both sides. Baltimore’s emphatic win keeps its postseason pulse alive, but the Ravens remain dependent on outside help. They must have the Cleveland Browns upset the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday to force a winner-take-all AFC North showdown in Week 18; a Steelers victory would end Baltimore’s season immediately. Green Bay, meanwhile, saw its division hopes officially vanish with the loss, handing the NFC North title to Chicago. The Packers are still headed to the playoffs, but Saturday’s defeat shifts their focus to seeding — and raises urgent questions about a defense that struggled mightily against Baltimore’s rushing attack.