OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The Baltimore Ravens held the Atlanta Falcons to their fewest yards in 19 years because of outstanding coverage, timely pressure and an unlikely most valuable player.

Some Ravens defenders believe a key part in holding the Falcons to 131 yards on Sunday was quarterback Lamar Jackson.

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Since Jackson took over as the starting quarterback three weeks ago, Baltimore has had a grind-it-out ground attack that has dominated time of possession, keeping the NFL's top-ranked defense fresh and the opposing offenses frustrated on the sideline. For most of Sunday's game, Falcons signal-caller Matt Ryan stood quietly while watching the scoreboard, wondering when he would get another chance to step on the field.

So, how do the Ravens upset the Kansas City Chiefs and the league's highest-scoring offense?

Make Patrick Mahomes the most high-profile spectator at Arrowhead Stadium, that's how.

"It’s true the best defense is a good offense," Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said. "Whether you’re scoring a lot of points or whether you’re eating up the clock, one or the other. The number of plays they are playing, the fact that they are fresh and well rested to get after people makes a big difference. That’s the kind of football we’re playing right now."

With Jackson, the Ravens' average time of possession has been 37 minutes, 20 seconds, which is 2½ minutes longer than any other team over that span.

In Sunday's 26-16 win over the Falcons, Baltimore continued its trend of wearing down defenses and taking control after halftime. In the second half, the Falcons had the ball for only 5:55 and ran a total of 13 plays.

"I told the guys before that last drive," Ravens safety Eric Weddle said, "'We’ve been sitting down for 15 minutes, so we better have the energy. You better hit whatever you see these next few plays and let’s go win this game.'"

The extra rest has given Ravens defenders an added burst late in games. Two weeks ago, it was linebacker Terrell Suggs returning a fumble 43 yards for a touchdown to seal the win over the Oakland Raiders with 5:55 remaining in the game. On Sunday, cornerback Tavon Young wrapped up the victory over the Falcons by scoring off a 12-yard fumble return with 7:16 to go.

Led by Lamar Jackson, the Ravens have more rushing yards over the past three games than any other team. Danny Karnik/AP Photo

This is a defense that has had trouble finishing over the past two seasons. Over the past three games, Baltimore's defense has outscored the opposing offense 12-6 in the fourth quarter.

"Obviously, the offense helped us out," Weddle said. "The time of possession has been huge over the last three weeks. Keeping us rested. Keeping us fresh in the fourth quarter. It’s complementary football that we’re playing, and just got to keep rolling."

This clock-eating offense is centered around a run-heavy attack that has averaged 48 rushes for 239 yards. Baltimore's 716 yards rushing are the most by any team in a three-game span since the 2012 Seattle Seahawks, according to ESPN Stats & Information data.

Playing keep-away with a Chiefs offense that averages 37 points per game has to be a priority. The Kansas City run defense, which ranks No. 22 in the NFL, is vulnerable. The Raiders ran for a season-best 171 yards against the Chiefs on Sunday. Plus, the Ravens don't utilize typical run plays. The run-option scheme with Jackson is a wrinkle that teams have struggled to shut down.

"You can go back to the old Air Force offense," Harbaugh said, "When a team sees that for the first time and doesn’t have a chance to work on it all throughout the year, it’s going to be challenging for them, of course, and all of the coaches in the last three weeks have said that. So yes, I do think that’s a plus."

The Ravens took pride in producing 207 yards rushing on Sunday despite not popping a run over 16 yards.

"It wasn't easy yards," Harbaugh told the players in the locker room.

Baltimore understands that it's going to take more explosiveness to end the Chiefs' eight-game home winning streak. Kansas City has won the time of possession battle only four times in 12 games and still has the best record in the AFC at 10-2.

There will be times in Kansas City when Jackson will have to stretch the field. In the end, games are won by points and not the number of 12-play drives.

"Yes, we want to make big plays. We need some big plays," Harbaugh said. "That has to happen and will happen. That’s something that’s very important."