Lamar Jackson Has Ravens Fans Dreaming of Super Bowl in NFL Playoff Win vs. Texans | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Emily Baldwin Lamar Jackson delivered perhaps the best playoff performance of his career to propel the Baltimore Ravens to a 34-10 victory over the Houston Texans.
Skeptics of the 2019 MVP were beginning to line up after a first half that saw the teams deadlocked at 10 points apiece. It was a much different story in the second half as the Ravens scored touchdowns on three straight drives, all courtesy of Jackson.
Jackson ran it in from 15 yards out, hit tight end Isaiah Likely with a 15-yard TD throw, and then had another eight-yard scoring run for good measure.
Baltimore Ravens @RavensEIGHT THE GREAT❗<br><br>Tune in on ESPN/ABC! <a href="">
Baltimore Ravens @RavensA BEAUTY! <a href="">@Lj_era8</a> to <a href="">@DaGorilla4</a> for 6 🔥<br><br>Tune in on ESPN/ABC <a href="">
ESPN @espnLAMAR-VELOUS! 😈<a href="">#HOUvsBAL</a> <a href="">
Jackson finished 16-of-22 through the air for 152 yards and two touchdowns, and he finished as Baltimore's leading rusher (100 yards, two touchdowns). It was another outing that reinforced his case for a second MVP even if it didn't actually count toward his candidacy.
LeBron James @KingJamesMan I LOVE Lamar Jackson!!!!!
M.G. @MarcasGCould you imagine if Lamar Jackson was ever upset with the Ravens and wanted out? I'm sure nearly every team in the league would be on the phone inquiring immediately.
Bill Barnwell @billbarnwellLot of owners hopefully out there watching this Lamar second half and patting themselves on the back. "Thank god we didn't negotiate Baltimore's deal for them."
nick wright @getnickwrightThe only thing missing from Lamar's otherwise pretty impeccable résumé was a great playoff game/deep playoff run. <br><br>A 4 TD performance to get Baltimore to the AFCCG checks a lot of boxes for him.
Zito @_ZeetsLamar Jackson having 82 yards from 9 carries is just hilarious. He doesn't even run as hard/fast like he used to. He's running at like 60%.
Dave @dave_bfrThe Ravens did a great job developing Lamar Jackson and building a team around his strengths. <br><br>Elite coaching. Stable franchise. Good formula. <br><br>Hope Lamar wins it all. He deserves it.
Kurt Benkert @KurtBenkertRemember how many teams publicly stated they weren't interested in Lamar? 😴<br><br>MVP
Ravens fans are continuing to dream big as well.
Vasilios Nikolaou @VasiliosTVRavens are one win away from a Super Bowl berth. <br><br>Inject this into my veins
Damon Amendolara @DamonAmendoLamar and the Ravens desperately needed this 2nd H. Finally playing like the best team in the NFL. Took awhile, but now this is the team they have to be to win a Super Bowl.
Michael McQuaid @Michael_NFLThis Ravens team look so, so hard to beat. A SF-BAL Super Bowl in Vegas could genuinely be a classic.
Jemele Hill @jemelehillHaving a hard time coming up with reasons the Ravens won't cruise to the Super Bowl.
Steve Kim @SteveKim323I think Baltimore has that look of a Super Bowl team this season... <a href="">#NFL</a>
FaZe Jsmooth @JSmoothYeah, Ravens winning the Super Bowl
Garrett Brodey @Brodeyy_51The Ravens are winning the Super Bowl
Those following the action also reflected on the contributions of first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who has let Jackson embrace his unique style while fine-tuning Baltimore's attack.
Mina Kimes @minakimesThe last 15 min of football have made me very happy that the Ravens made the move to Todd Monken.
Marcus Spears @mspears96With a new offense the best thing Monken did was not lose physicality of the run game!!! It's beautiful
⚡️Garrett Ferguson⚡️ @GarrettSprintsTodd Monken's halftime adjustments are one of the biggest differences between him and Greg Roman
Robert Griffin III @RGIIIMany people said the Texans weren't the same team from Week 1, but they failed to realize NEITHER ARE THE RAVENS. Week 1 was the first time the Ravens new pieces played together in a new offense with Lamar, Monken was figuring out his personnel and Isaiah Likely wasn't a starter
Baltimore Beatdown @BmoreBeatdownHoly adjustments and execution, Todd Monken
Kyron Samuels @kyronsamuelsdemeco threw haymakers in the early rounds & scored a knockdown or two. <br><br>todd monken came back & adjusted w/ body work & might be getting ready to score the knockout blow. <br><br>heavyweight coaching battle this evening.
Andrew Brandt @AndrewBrandtTodd Monken seems like he's tired of hearing about Bobby Slowik. <br>Surgical.
Will Brinson @WillBrinsonThe Lamar playoff narrative stuff was always mostly nonsense, built out of several unusual situations.<br><br>He's a QB unicorn and this Todd Monken offense maximizes his efficiency/skill set in a variety of ways and game scripts
For the Texans, Saturday brought a disappointing end to an otherwise encouraging season. C.J. Stroud concluded his rookie campaign by throwing for 175 yards on 33 attempts.
Based on how Houston is already ahead of schedule under head coach DeMeco Ryans, it's only up from here.
In the AFC title race, the stage is now set for a battle pitting Jackson against either Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen. The Buffalo Bills host the Kansas City Chiefs in the other divisional clash Sunday.
The Ravens need a half to find their footing and perhaps shake off a bit of rust after having a bye in the Wild Card Round. By the time the clock wound down in the fourth quarter, Baltimore had reminded everybody why it was the top seed in the conference.
This certainly looks like the year Jackson tastes the kind of team success to match his individual accolades.