COMMENTARY
The Ravens roared through a 3-1 stretch during the season's third quarter, flashing their customary tough defense, getting gradually better production from the offense and typically solid special teams play to gain control of the AFC North at 7-5.
Here is the PressBox third-quarter report card:
Quarterback: Even deep into his ninth season, Joe Flacco takes a lot of heat for not being an overtly expressive leader. But he recovered from a horrific second quarter of the year to throw nine touchdown passes against four interceptions in the third quadrant, posting three of four games with a 97.0-plus passer rating. The games against Cleveland Nov. 10 and Dallas Nov. 20 each featured a yards-per-attempt figure above 7, a product of the no-huddle scheme, shorter drops and quicker decision-making, not to mention tighter route-running and better pass protection. The season's third quarter simply featured Flacco doing what he does best: getting back to fundamentals and leading by example. The last few games have featured Flacco rescuing what was looking to be the worst season of his career.
