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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
BALTIMORE (AP) -- The Baltimore Ravens still have a shot at a
winning season and a chance to compete in the playoffs.
Mike Ditka can only hope for the opportunity to do the same next
year with the New Orleans Saints.
Tony Banks threw three touchdown passes and the Ravens tied a
team record with four interceptions Sunday in a 31-8 rout of the
listless Saints.
|  | | Priest Holmes and the Ravens rumbled past the Saints. |
The victory gave Baltimore (7-7) a three-game winning streak for
only the second time in the team's four-year history. The Ravens,
who never before won more than six games in a season, are at .500
in December and still in the running for a playoff spot.
"We're trying to focus on a winning season and that's it. We
can only control so much," linebacker Ray Lewis said. "Us
controlling 9-7 is our destiny. Us controlling the playoff picture
is not."
As is usually the case this time of year, the Saints (2-12) have
nothing to play for except pride.
"It's just no fun. ... It's no fun for me, it's no fun for
these guys, it's no fun for the owner and it's no fun for the
fans," said a resigned and soft-spoken Ditka. "None of this is by
design. It happens and sometimes it's like a snowball -- it starts
and you just can't stop it."
Ditka is under contract through 2002, but he's 14-32 at New
Orleans. Owner Tom Benson has said he will make changes at the end
of this season.
"I'd always like to honor my contract. When I came here, I came
here for a reason: to try to win," Ditka said. "It's been a
little harder than I thought. ... I don't know if you get that many
chances. Who knows? The chances may disappear."
New Orleans has lost five straight and 12 of 13. The Saints, who
played without injured running back Ricky Williams, finished with
11 yards rushing and eight first downs.
"We're not going to quit. When you start to quit, you might as
well stop playing football," wide receiver Eddie Kennison said.
The Ravens built a 17-0 halftime lead, holding the Saints to 96
yards and three first downs. Banks hooked up with Qadry Ismail for
a 47-yard touchdown with 14:14 remaining to make it 24-0, and at
that point the only suspense was whether Baltimore would record the
first shutout in franchise history.
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GAME NOTES |
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Baltimore's Kyle Richardson set the NFL record for most punts inside the 20 in one season (37).
The loss was Mike Ditka's 100th against 126 wins in his career.
Qadry Ismail suffered a lower back injury in the fourth quarter.
Holding the Saints to 11 yards rushing is a Ravens record. Baltimore has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in its past 15 games.
New Orleans is 0-7 on the road for the first time since 1996. The Saints are 0-6 when the opposition scores first and 0-9 when trailing after the first quarter. |
"They outmanned us," Ditka said. "They had a pretty good
scheme for what we had. It's a good defense, I think the best I
have seen."
Banks went 24-for-36 for 298 yards and three harmless
interceptions before leaving early in the fourth quarter. Ismail,
who caught three touchdown passes last week in Pittsburgh, had
seven catches for 115 yards and a score.
Ismail, who didn't have a reception in each of the last two
seasons with Miami and New Orleans, has 58 for 1,003 yards.
The Saints spoiled Baltimore's shutout bid when Billy Joe
Tolliver threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Keith Poole with 10:35
left. Earlier in the drive, a 57-yard pass to Lawrence Dawsey ended
the Saints' 0-for-12 frustration on third down.
Tolliver, who missed one series with a rib injury, was 16-for-35
for 207 yards and three interceptions.
Baltimore's Corey Harris picked off Danny Wuerffel's pass and
went 24 yards for a touchdown with 1:49 left.
"We're stepping in the right direction. Everything is going
well, we're 7-7," Ravens safety Rod Woodson said. "If we want
even a glimpse of a hope, we've got to win out. So basically each
one of these games is like a playoff game to us."
The Saints, playing their 500th game in the NFL (including the
playoffs), were held scoreless in the opening half for the first
time this season.
Woodson intercepted Tolliver's pass and took it 31 yards to the
New Orleans 27, setting up a 36-yard field goal by Matt Stover.
Baltimore went up 10-0 on its next possession. Running back
Priest Holmes slipped behind linebacker Mark Fields and caught a
34-yard touchdown pass from Banks along the left sideline.
A 6-yard touchdown pass from Banks to a diving Justin Armour
made it 17-0 with 24 seconds left in the half. Banks went 5-for-6
for 48 yards on the drive.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
New Orleans Clubhouse
Baltimore Clubhouse
Week 15 wrap-ups
Week 15 infirmary report
TJ's Take on Week 15
PrimeTime Players
Week 15 stats leaders
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