Baltimore Ravens Defensive Tackle Michael Pierce Closes Out Division-Title Victory with First NFL Interception
Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce made his first NFL interception count, closing out a division-sealing victory against the Cleveland Browns. Pierce’s big pick came with the Browns’ offense in the red zone and the Ravens up 35-10. He dropped into coverage, using his 355-pound body to block a pass from Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and brought it in. Pierce stumbled slightly with the ball before rolling down to end the play, allowing his offense to run out the clock.
The Ravens celebrated their second straight NFC North title, finishing the season with a 12-5 record. They will open the playoffs at home against either the Los Angeles Chargers or Pittsburgh Steelers. The Browns, meanwhile, ended a dreadful season with six straight losses, finishing with a 3-14 record.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had a spectacular season, finishing with 4,172 yards passing, 41 touchdown passes, and only four interceptions. He became the first quarterback to reach 4,000 yards passing with 40 TD passes and four or fewer interceptions. Jackson also threw touchdown passes to Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman, and finished the season with 915 yards rushing.
The Ravens also got a strong performance from running back Derrick Henry, who finished the season with 1,921 yards rushing and a franchise-record 16 rushing touchdowns.