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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws to a receiver in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016, in Baltimore.
BALTIMORE >> Derek Carr threw four touchdown passes, the last to Michael Crabtree with 2:12 left, and the Oakland Raiders beat the previously undefeated Baltimore Ravens 28-27 on Sunday.
After the Ravens rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to go ahead with 3 ½ minutes remaining, Carr directed a 66-yard drive that ended with a 23-yard strike to Crabtree in the back of the end zone.
Carr went 25 for 35 for 199 yards. Three of his TD passes went to Crabtree, who finished with seven catches for 88 yards to help Oakland (3-1) to its third road win.
The Ravens (3-1) trailed 14-3 in the second quarter and 21-12 with 11:11 to go before coming back.
A 52-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to Steve Smith cut the deficit to 21-19. Ravens defensive tackle Lawrence Guy then forced a fumble by DeAndre Washington, and Baltimore recovered at the Oakland 17.
Four plays later, Terrance West scored from the 3 to give Baltimore its first lead.
The Ravens won their previous three games by excelling in the fourth quarter. This game was a throwback to last year, when Carr pulled out a 37-33 win over Baltimore.
Operating against a porous defense ranked 32nd in the NFL, the Ravens didn’t reach the end zone until deep into the third quarter. Flacco was pressured in the pocket for much of the afternoon, in part because starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley was inactive with a foot injury.
Baltimore was called for offensive holding five times and yielded two sacks.
The Ravens closed to 14-12 with 2:41 left in the third quarter when Flacco bulled in from the 1 to complete a 72-yard drive that consumed seven minutes.
The comeback lost some steam when Bruce Irvin sacked Flacco, forcing a fumble that Oakland recovered on the Baltimore 29.
That led to a 13-yard touchdown pass to Crabtree after the Ravens jumped offside on a fourth-and-1.
NO FORSETT: After starting the Ravens’ first three games, RB Justin Forsett was placed on the inactive list. Terrance West ran for a career-high 113 yards and Javorius Allen picked up 13 in his season debut. Flacco has two of Baltimore’s three rushing TDs this season.
INJURIES: Raiders: TE Lee Smith (ankle) was hurt in the second quarter and did not return. … LB Malcolm Smith left in the fourth quarter with a groin injury.
Ravens: S Eric Weddle and S Lardarius Webb both underwent concussion protocol in the fourth quarter but returned to play. … CB Maurice Canady (thigh) left in the first quarter. … TE Maxx Williams (knee) missed most of the second half.
UP NEXT
Raiders: Oakland begins a two-game homestand against AFC West foes next Sunday, hosting San Diego before Kansas City comes to town on Oct. 16.
Ravens: A matchup against neighboring rival Washington looms for the Ravens at home next Sunday.
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