Lamar Jackson accounts for 4 TDs as Ravens crush Texans, 34-10, to earn first home AFC championship game
10 months ago
Lamar #Lamar
All season long, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has said that the Super Bowl is his goal.
Saturday night, he took another step toward making it a reality.
Jackson ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns and completed 16 of 22 passes for 152 yards and another two scores, leading Baltimore to a 34-10 divisional round win over the Houston Texans in front of a raucous crowd at M&T Bank Stadium.
The victory means the Ravens will play in their first AFC championship game since the 2012 season, when they went on to win the organization’s second Super Bowl title. It will also be the Ravens’ first conference championship in Baltimore, as well as the first in the city since the Colts played the then-Oakland Raiders for the AFC title in 1971.
The Ravens will host the winner of Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills on Jan. 28 at 3 p.m.
For the first 30 minutes against the Texans, however, there was plenty of doubt if Baltimore would get there, especially after Steven Sims broke loose for a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown that stunned the raucous crowd and tied the score at 10 with 4:32 remaining in the first half.
The Ravens, who had the best record in the NFL in the regular season and are the AFC’s top seed in the playoffs, hardly looked the part for most of the first two quarters, thanks mostly to the Texans’ relentless pressure.
Houston came into the game with one of the lowest blitz rates in the NFL, yet for much of the first half, the Ravens’ offense had little answer for its pass rush. Jackson was blitzed on 13 of 18 dropbacks in the first half, according to Next Gen Stats, and the Texans generated 10 pressures and sacked him three times.
Before Saturday, Houston had never blitzed on a majority of dropbacks in a game during coach DeMeco Ryans’ three seasons as a defensive player caller. The pressure frustrated and limited Jackson to just 52 passing yards and the Ravens’ offense managed a meager 3.8 yards per play and 10 points in the first half.
But the Texans’ success against the expected NFL Most Valuable Player wouldn’t last.
On the strength of Jackson’s legs and his right arm, as well as brilliant second-half adjustments from offensive coordinator Todd Monken, the quarterback shredded the Houston defense in the game’s final two quarters, as he’s done to opponents most of the season.
After a 37-yard kick return by Devin Duvernay to open the third quarter, Jackson capped a six-play, 55-yard scoring drive with a 15-yard touchdown scamper up the middle. Then, on the Ravens’ next possession, he converted a fourth-and-1 from the Texans’ 49-yard line with a brilliant naked bootleg to the left.
Six plays later, and on the run, Jackson threw a dart to leaping tight end Isaiah Likely for a 15-yard scoring strike early in the fourth quarter.
The touchdown gave the Ravens a 24-10 lead and their fans room to exhale. The 12-play, 93-yard also chewed up 7:03 of the clock and demoralized a Texans team that had, until then, given the Ravens fits.
Then Jackson put the game out of reach as he found the end zone on the ground again, this time from 8 yards. The 11-play, 78-yard drive again ate up valuable minutes, with 7:10 ticking off the clock.
With Baltimore out to a big lead, the Ravens’ defense, which became the first to lead the NFL in sacks, takeaways and points allowed, could zero in on rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and the Texans’ offense, which it limited to just 68 yards in the second half.
A week after lighting up the Cleveland Browns in a 45-14 blowout with two touchdowns and a 157.2 passer rating, Stroud finished 19 of 33 for just 175 yards with no touchdowns against Baltimore. Houston also struggled with crowd noise for much of the game, committing 11 penalties, many of them coming before the snap.
This story will be updated.
AFC championship game
Bills/Chiefs at Ravens
Sunday, 3 p.m.
TV: CBS
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
Baltimore Ravens’ Isaiah Likely catches a touchdown as Houston Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr. attempts to defend against the play in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens’ Isaiah Likely catches a touchdown as Houston Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr. attempts to defend against the play in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens Isaiah Likely hauls in a touchdown pass over Houston Texans Derek Stingley Jr. in the 4th quarter of the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson runs for a 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo)
Texan’s #93 Kurt Hinish sacks Ravens’ Lamar Jackson in the second quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo)
Texans’ kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn misses a field goal late in the first half. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo)
Texan’s #26 Devin Singletary is tackled by Ravens’ #14 Kyle Hamilton and #0 Roquan Smith in the second quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo)
Ravens’ #92 Justin Madubuike tackles Texans’ #19 Xavier Hutchinson in the second quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens punter Jordan Stout reacts after the Texans score a punt return for a field goal touchdown during the Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens punter Jordan Stout is dejected after the Texans returned a punt for a touchdown during the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)
Houston Texans’ Steven Sims runs a punt in for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens’ Charlie Kolar catches the ball against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor celebrates a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor, left, and quarterback Lamar Jackson celebrate a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback runs for a first down in the second quarter against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson celebrates with teammate #15 Nelson Agholor after he caught a touchdown pass in the second quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo)
Ravens Lamar Jackson takes off for a long run in the first quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo)
Ka’imi Fairbairn kicks a 50 yard field goal in the first quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo)
Ravens’ Justin Tucker celebrates with his teammates after kicking a field goal to make the score, 3-0, against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)
Ravens #24 Jadeveon Clowney tackles Texan’s #26 Devin Singletary during first quarter action. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo)
Ravens fans react to Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker’s first quarter field goal against the Houston Texans. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)
Ravens’ Justin Tucker kicks a field goal to make the score, 3-0,, against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker kicks a field goal in the first quarter as the Ravens host the Houston Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker kicks a field goal in the first quarter as the Ravens host the Houston Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson breaks from the pocket for a gain against the Houston Texans in the first quarter. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson runs for a first down against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throws in the first quarter. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens’ Travis Jones pressures Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in the first quarter as the Ravens host the Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)
Houston Texans’ Devin Singletary is tackled for loss by Baltimore Ravens’ Justin Madubuike in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson heads out to practice for the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo)
Fans react before the Divisional Round of the playoffs game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens’ Morgan Moses is on the field before a playoff game against the Houston Texans.(Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens’ Tyler Ott uses a heater to warm up the equipment before a playoff game against the Houston Texans. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo)
Wayne Reese known as Uncle Grandpa dances outside of the stadium before the Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff photo)
Ken Mioduski of Bel Air, also known as Purple Haze, enjoys the pregame tailgate before the Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff photo)
Mark Acton wheels a Ravens MVP sculpture he created through the streets outside of M&T Bank Stadium. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game. (Lloyd Fox/Staff photo)
Chris Mills, of Toronto, and wife Chantel Mills, both Odell Beckham Jr. fans, attend their first Ravens game ever and it is the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)
Governor Wes Moore arrives at M&T Bank Stadium for Baltimore Ravens playoff game against the Houston Texans. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)
Clarence Thomas known as the Hip-hop Raven enjoys pregame festivities before the Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens game. NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff photo)
Former Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning watches the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans warm up during the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo)
Adalius Thomas, left and Carmelo Anthony talk as the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans practice during the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo)
Comedian Stavros Halkias is on the field before the Divisional Round of the playoffs between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens Roquan Smith pumps up the team prior to the divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens Roquan Smith takes the field as the Ravens prepare to host the Houston Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)
Baltimore Ravens’ Justin Madubuike takes the field as the Ravens prepare to host the Houston Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)
Maryland National Guard A10s fly over prior to the start of the divisional playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo)
