BALTIMORE -- A few thoughts on the Baltimore Ravens' 20-12 victory Sunday over the Jacksonville Jaguars at M&T Bank Stadium:
What it means: The Ravens (9-5) remained a half game back of the first-place Cincinnati Bengals (9-4-1) with two games remaining, and they're tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5) for second place. It was an ugly game and a tougher one than expected against the lowly Jaguars (2-12). Behind a dominant pass rush, the Ravens were able to overcome mistakes on special teams and another slow start to win for the fourth time in five games. If the San Diego Chargers lose to the Denver Broncos, the Ravens would move into the No. 6 seed in the AFC.
Flacco seals it: The Ravens essentially sealed the win with about three minutes left when Joe Flacco ran a designed quarterback keeper on third-and-5. He ran for 10 yards up the right sideline. This is the second straight week that Flacco impacted the game with his legs. Flacco finished 20-of-30 for 221 yards and one touchdown.
Good special teams: Darian Stewart blocked a punt on the opening drive, and Kamar Aiken returned it 11 yards for the touchdown. It marked the Ravens' first touchdown off a blocked punt since November 2003, when Ed Reed did it against the Seattle Seahawks. Aiken, who had never scored a touchdown in his previous three seasons, has reached the end zone three times this year, including in back-to-back games.
Bad special teams: Justin Tucker missed two 54-yard field goal attempts because of gaffes on special teams. A high snap messed up the timing on the first one, and a delay of game moved the Ravens back on the second. The Ravens got caught off guard twice by the Jaguars, who successfully recovered an onside kick in the second quarter and converted a first down on a fake punt. But the Jaguars couldn't convert either one into points, missing a field goal after the onside kick and punting after the fake punt.
Stock watch: Rising -- tight end Owen Daniels. On the drive that put the Ravens ahead for good, Daniels ran a great route for a 29-yard reception and then scored on a 3-yard catch on the next play. It marked his first touchdown in seven games. He finished with four catches for 62 yards.
Game ball: The Ravens' pass-rushers. The Ravens sacked rookie quarterback Blake Bortles eight times, including four times in the fourth quarter. Terrell Suggs led the Ravens with 2.5 sacks and now has 7.5 sacks in his last five games. The pass rush was a big reason why the Ravens didn't allow a touchdown for the second time this season.
What's next: The Ravens play their final regular-season road game when they visit the Houston Texans. This is the first game for offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak against his former team; he was the Texans' head coach from 2006 to 2013.
