2023 Baltimore Ravens awards: Game of the Year (2024)

The 2023 Baltimore Beatdown Awards continue after our fourth nominees were announced on Saturday for Coach of the Year.

The Baltimore Ravens were the most dominant team in the regular season, finishing with the most wins in the league (13) and resume featured that featured blowouts, decisive victories, and a few dramatic finishes.

Baltimore Beatdown’s Game of the Year Candidates

Kyle Phoenix: Divisional Round vs. Texans (34-10W)

The Ravens’ feats in the regular season were seismic. They dominated just about everybody and wreaked havoc in all three phases of the game. But it was always about how they’d handle the postseason. Against the Texans, they proved they’re capable of making plays and winning a playoff game. They can make adjustments. They went from a slog-fest ugly battle to outright thrashing the Texans in the second half with a near perfect final 30 minutes. It was a step in the right direction for a team that is judged solely off their postseason play.

Frank Platko: Week 16 vs. San Francisco 49ers (33-19 W)

The Ravens had several convincing victories throughout the season. However, their dominant win over the 49ers on Christmas Day stands out among them. At the time, both teams had 11-3 records, but the Ravens entered the game as a five-point underdog. A loss to an elite San Francisco team would have been excusable and many were predicting it. Instead, they rolled over the 49ers on both sides of the ball and stole the title of the NFL’s best team. Between the defense getting five interceptions and Lamar Jackson bolstering his MVP candidacy, it was as high-profile of a win as the Ravens have had in years. It was even better considering the game was played on a holiday in a primetime night spot, with a national audience bearing witness.

Joshua Reed: Week 17 vs. Miami Dolphins (56-19 W)

A week after shocking the football and sports betting world by blowing out the highly favored 49ers on Christmas, the Ravens shellacked the then-AFC East-leading Miami Dolphins even worse, making Scorigami history and locking up the No. 1 seed in the AFC in the process. It would wind up being the final game that Lamar Jackson would play in the regular season and he put an exclamation point on his second-career MVP-winning campaign with a phenomenal performance against one of the best defenses in the league. He threw for a season-high five touchdowns, finished with 321 passing yards, only three incompletions (18-of-21), and a perfect passer rating. All three running backs and tight ends scored, backup quarterback Tyler Huntley came in to throw a touchdown and also had a perfect passer rating, and the defense held another elite offense to less than 20 points for the second week in a row despite being short-handed without their top two cornerbacks for most of the game.

Vasilis Lericos: Divisional Round vs. Houston Texans (34-10 W)

During the regular season, the 2023 Ravens dominated several contenders, including the Lions, 49ers, and Dolphins; and provided a dramatic come-from-behind overtime victory over the Rams. However, their emphatic divisional-round win is the choice for a club that has struggled in the playoffs since Ray Lewis and Ed Reed departed. Hosting the red-hot Texans in the postseason, Baltimore earned a resounding 34-10 victory on the strength of four Lamar Jackson touchdowns and a second-half defensive shutout. While the season did not end in Super Bowl glory, advancing to the conference championship round for the first time in more than a decade was a step in the right direction for the Ravens franchise.

Zach Canter: Week 14 vs. Los Angeles Rams (37-31 [OT] W)

This game was an instant classic. Eight lead changes and over 400 yards of offense for each team. It included a go-ahead drive by the Ravens in the last three minutes and then immediately had a game-tying drive in the last 90 seconds by the Rams to send it to overtime. After a three-and-out by the Ravens, the Ravens’ defense held the Rams to a subsequent three-and-out. And then came a play many Ravens fans will for a generation. After starting returner Devin Duvernay left early in the game for a back injury, wide receiver Tylan Wallace started returning punts. After returning two earlier in the game, on his third punt return in the NFL, Wallace split the coverage unit, broke a tackle, and managed to keep his balance and stay on his feet for 76 yards and a walk-off touchdown. While the game against the 49ers might be a more popular choice for sheer dominance, the Rams game was a back-and-forth classic and the joy of watching that return can’t be beat.