'SNF' takeaways: Ravens win ugly while Chargers tight-game struggles continue

The Baltimore Ravens (9-3) won ugly behind a solid defensive effort, topping the Los Angeles Chargers (4-7), 20-10, on "Sunday Night Football," increasing their division lead in the AFC North. Here are three takeaways from a big road win for Baltimore.

Defense bailed QB Lamar Jackson and Ravens offense out: The Ravens' defense dominated on Sunday night, holding the Chargers to 279 total yards for an abysmal 4.2 yards per play. Furthermore, they forced four takeaways, including a turnover on downs to seal the victory late in the fourth quarter. 

Meanwhile, Jackson and the Ravens' offense turned those four turnovers into only three points as they struggled for most of the night against the Chargers' 23rd-ranked defense. 

Baltimore's offense was largely silent aside from a two-touchdown performance by WR Zay Flowers, including a 37-yard rushing score when the result was already in hand. 

Furthermore, Jackson threw for only 177 yards, his third-lowest outing of the season, finishing 18-of-32 for 5.5 yards per attempt with a touchdown and an interception.  

QB Justin Herbert, Chargers struggles in one-score games continue:  

So far this season, eight of the Chargers 12 games have been decided by seven points or less. Following Sunday night's loss, they've lost six of those games, including three in a row by a combined 16 points. 

Meanwhile, Herbert coming up short late in games is becoming a trend. In the Chargers' six losses by a score or less, Herbert and the offense have had the ball four times with under two minutes to go and a chance to tally the go-ahead score. 

He's now 0-4 in those games, suffering losses to the Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys and the Ravens. The Chargers were somehow still in the game, trailing 13-10 after an uncharacteristic field goal miss from Ravens' Justin Tucker with 2:57 to go. However, Herbert and the offense failed to come through on their next drive, which stalled after only six plays, ending hopes of a comeback. 

Ravens head into their bye with Super Bowl vibes: The Ravens win over the Chargers helped them improve to 9-3 on the season as they embark on a much-needed bye week. Not only are the Ravens two wins ahead of the second-place Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4) and Cleveland Browns for the lead in the AFC North, but they're the only nine-win team in the conference, one game better than the 8-3 Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs. 

Baltimore has won two in a row and six of its last seven, and their record through 12 weeks should please Ravens fans. The last time the Ravens were 9-3 at this point in the season was in 2012. 

That year, they finished 10-6, winning the AFC North before going on to win Super Bowl XLVII, 34-31, over the San Francisco 49ers. History could repeat itself, but we'll just have to wait and see.