The Ravens have played on Thanksgiving twice, winning both games. Here’s a look back at the team’s Turkey Day history …
Nov. 24, 2011: Baltimore Ravens 16, San Francisco 49ers 6
John Harbaugh’s Ravens faced off against Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers in a preview of what was to come more than a year later in Super Bowl XLVII. Billy Cundiff hit three field goals for the Ravens, while David Akers hit two for the 49ers. Dennis Pitta’s 8-yard touchdown catch from Joe Flacco on the first play of the fourth quarter put the Ravens up for good.
The game was mostly a defensive struggle, with the Ravens racking up 253 yards of offense and the 49ers posting 170 yards. The Ravens sacked 49ers quarterback Alex Smith nine times. Terrell Suggs had 3.0 sacks; Cory Redding, 2.5; Haloti Ngata, 2.0; Tom Zbikowski, 1.0, and Lardarius Webb, 0.5. Webb also had an interception. Ray Lewis sat out due to a foot injury.
One of the biggest moments of the game occurred with the score tied at three early in the second quarter. It appeared the 49ers were on the verge of a 10-3 lead thanks to a 76-yard connection between Alex Smith and Ted Ginn, but the touchdown was wiped out due to a chop block. The Ravens improved to 8-3 on the season with the win, while the 49ers dropped to 9-2.
Nov. 28, 2013: Baltimore Ravens 22, Pittsburgh Steelers 20
One play in particular makes this a memorable game for Baltimore fans. After the Steelers scored a touchdown to make the score 13-7 in the third quarter, Ravens kick returner Jacoby Jones appeared well on his way to getting that 13-point lead back … until he had to angle away from Pittsburgh’s sideline with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin unusually close to the field of play. Jones was tackled, and it led to a Justin Tucker field goal.
Tucker had five field goals on the night — and the Ravens’ failure to finish off drives nearly cost them. Baltimore had leads of 13-0, 19-7 and 22-14 in the game but could never quite put Pittsburgh away. The Steelers scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns and were a two-point conversion away from tying the game at 22 with 1:03 left in regulation. But Ben Roethlisberger’s throw to Emmanuel Sanders fell incomplete, and the Ravens held on.
Joe Flacco completed 24 of 35 passes for 251 yards. He threw a touchdown to Torrey Smith, who caught six passes for 93 yards. Roethlisberger completed 28 of 44 passes for two touchdowns; his leading receiver was Heath Miller (eight catches for 86 yards). The game represented a typical contest in the Ravens-Steelers rivalry; the two teams have split their last 28 matchups, including postseason, dating back to 2008. The Steelers lead the all-time series, 30-24, including playoffs.
The Ravens improved to 6-6 with their win in November 2013, while the Steelers dropped to 5-7. Both teams finished 8-8, and the Cincinnati Bengals won the AFC North.
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