MASNsports.com is your online home for the latest Orioles and Nationals news, features, and commentary. And now, you can connect with MASN on every digital level. From web and social media to our new mobile alert service, MASN has got all the bases covered.
Get the latest breaking news direct to your phone with our mobile texting service.
The Ravens nearly gave the Charm City faithful a heart attack.
Josh Wilson brought the defibrillator.
After the Ravens blew a 21-point second half lead, Wilson's 12-yard interception return for a touchdown in overtime gave Baltimore a 34-28 win over the Texans, and saved the Ravens organization from an incredibly embarrassing loss on Monday Night Football.
Baltimore came out on fire, and dominated the Texans in all three phases in the first half. They built a 21-7 at the break, and that lead grew to 21 points when rookie David Reed returned the opening kickoff of the second half 103 yards for a touchdown.
But for the rest of regulation, the Ravens looked nothing like a team that still has a shot at an AFC North title.
Yet again, the Baltimore offense went into a coma after jumping out to a lead, and this time, the defense fell apart as well.
They allowed Houston to put up 301 total yards in the second half and the Texans rattled off 21 straight points, including 15 in the final 6:05 of regulation.
Houston tied the game with under 30 seconds left when quarterback Matt Schaub hit stud wide receiver Andre Johnson from five yards out, and then found Jacoby Jones on the subsequent two-point conversion to knot the game at 28-28.
Things looked bleak going into overtime, especially when Sam Koch had to punt the ball away after a failed Ravens possession to start OT. But Koch's 58-yard punt backed to Texans up to their own nine-yard line, and two plays into Houston's drive, Wilson gave the Ravens the win.
Haloti Ngata and Jarret Johnson pressured Schaub on a second-down play, forcing the QB to throw off his back foot, and Wilson jumped in front of wide receiver Kevin Walter to make the pick and run it back for the score.
A win, yet again, is a win. But boy, it sure was ugly.
With the victory, the Ravens move to 9-4 and will face the defending Super Bowl champion Saints coming to town next Sunday.
