Ravens vs. Packers Score Gives Packers an Ugly Playoff Boost

The Ravens vs Packers score stood to impact two playoff races. So even though the Ravens vs Packers game got pretty hard to watch at times, it was necessary to see it through. Fortunately for the AFC wild card contenders, Baltimore made just a few more mistakes than Green Bay. As such, the Ravens vs Packers score still counted as a win for the Packers, as they solidified their wild card standing. Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco and the Ravens defense all wound up sharing credit for that.

The Packers' 27-14 win was crucial to the playoff picture, but it will be more memorable in the long run for yellow flags. A combined 23 penalties were handed out, with the most penalty yardage since 1976. The two supposed playoff teams gave up a combined 310 yards in penalties, tied for the second most in NFL history. The bulk of those yards came from nine pass interference calls, with five against the Ravens.

But at some point, the Ravens and Packers found time to score some points. For the first half, Green Bay dominated the scoring, as Rodgers threw two late touchdown passes to take a 17-0 lead. However, the Ravens looked ready to turn the tide in the second half, cutting the lead to 17-14.

The Ravens vs Packers score finally swung for Green Bay thanks to Rodgers, and thanks to Ravens' turnovers. Despite two interceptions, Rodgers threw three touchdowns to balance it out, with two to tight end Jermichael Finley.

The Packers defense finished it off by intercepting Joe Flacco three times, and forcing four turnovers. Of course, Green Bay gave up three of their own, with two leading to the Ravens' only points. After the Saints lit up Monday night last week, there was a little less finesse on display this time around.

But no matter how ugly the Ravens vs Packers slugfest got, the score made a decided impact on the playoff picture. It cleared up the NFC race a bit, as the Packers are 8-4 and still in sole possession of a wild card spot. Both Philadelphia and Green Bay lead that race, with the Giants a full game back.

On the other hand, the AFC wild card chase is more of a mess. Jacksonville has the final wild card spot at 7-5, but now four 6-6 teams are chasing them, including the Ravens. Baltimore has no more margin for error left, though they have two winnable games ahead before a possible elimination game at Pittsburgh. At the least, the Ravens hold the tiebreaker over the other 6-6 teams.

The Ravens vs Packers score made life much harder for Baltimore, and much easier for Green Bay - even if they didn't make it easy on the fans who watched.

Sources

San Francisco Examiner- "Rodgers throws 3 TDs as Packers beat Ravens 27-14"

Chicago Tribune- "Packers get little encouragement"

NFL.com- "NFL Standings: Conference"