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BALTIMORE -- Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden was admittedly worried when the Baltimore Ravens easily marched down the field and scored a touchdown on their first drive of the game Sunday. Washington's defense had suffered similar breakdowns throughout the season, and the team had to rely on quarterback Kirk Cousins to bail them out.
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This time, though, the Redskins' defense bounced back, holding Baltimore scoreless in the second half and leading the way for a 16-10 victory.
"The defense stepped up," Gruden said. "The first drive was a little scary. Here we go again. But we came back, took it personal and played well. They did what it took to win."
Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco appeared to throw a go-ahead 23-yard touchdown to Breshad Perriman with 30 seconds left, but the play was overturned after a review. The Redskins then forced an incomplete pass on a 4th-and-8 to pick up their third straight win.
"We went out there and executed it, and we're walking out of here with a 'W,'" said Redskins defensive tackle Ziggy Hood, who finished with a sack. "We got down, but we didn't stay down."
Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins was 29 for 41 for 260 yards. He gave the Redskins their first lead, 13-10, on a 21-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon with 8:28 left in the third quarter.
"It was satisfying for us to beat a good team like this at their place," Cousins said. "We showed a lot of character and resiliency to win this game, but this is life in the NFL."
Washington (3-2) then caught a major break when Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley intercepted Cousins, but fumbled the ball through the end zone for a Redskins' touchback. It was a costly mistake that led to a 27-yard field goal by Dustin Hopkins that extended Washington's lead to 16-10.
"We can't play like that and win," Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said. "We have to be better than we were today."
Baltimore (3-2) was playing with a patchwork offensive line and was out of sync for much of the game. Rookie left tackle Ronnie Stanley missed his second straight week with a foot injury and right tackle Rick Wagner left the game with an injured thigh in the third quarter.
Flacco was sacked three times and was forced to check down most of the game because of constant pressure. He completed 30 of 46 passes for 210 yards with a touchdown.
Baltimore running back Terrance West had 95 yards on just 11 carries.
"We're not playing well enough," Flacco said. "We're not making plays. We are running off the field way too much."
Washington entered the game with the league's No. 29-ranked defense, allowing 133 rushing yards per game and 280.5 yards passing.
The Ravens exploited that weakness on their first possession with a 75-yard scoring drive, capped by a 7-yard pass from Flacco to Crockett Gillmore. But that was the last time Baltimore would manage a touchdown.
Washington got a spark with an 85-yard punt return by Jamison Crowder. It was the first Redskins punt return for a touchdown since Santana Moss ran one back on Oct. 26, 2008. However, Dustin Hopkins missed the PAT and Baltimore led 7-6.
"Guys did a really good job blocking," Crowder said. "I saw a crease, broke a tackle and it was just a run to the end zone."
The Ravens defense came up big with 6:10 left in the half when linebacker Zachary Orr stripped running back Matt Jones and recovered the ball on the Washington 15. The Ravens, however, could not extend a 10-6 lead when kicker Justin Tucker threw an incomplete pass on a fake field-goal attempt.
"We definitely saw something we thought we could exploit," Harbaugh said. "We felt like it could be there for us and we gave it a shot. It didn't work out."
NOTES: Baltimore WR Steve Smith left the game with an ankle injury with2:52 remaining in the first quarter and did not return. ... Bashaud Breeland, the Redskins' No. 2 cornerback, was out for a second consecutive game with an ankle injury. ... Ravens starting CB Shareece Wright, who has been dealing with back spasms, was inactive. Sheldon Price took his spot but suffered a hamstring injury in the second quarter.
