Officially, Lamar Jackson had 33 yards on seven carries in the Ravens’ electrifying 35-34 win over Cincinnati Thursday night. Unofficially, he nearly doubled that total on one play.
Down 21-7 with five minutes left in the third quarter, Jackson weaved his way through the Cincinnati defense, setting up Derrick Henry’s 1-yard touchdown that got the Ravens off the floor. According to Next Gen Stats, Jackson put the ball on the 1-yard line after covering 58.1 yards of grass.
“I should’ve scored,” said Jackson on Prime Video’s TNF Nightcap, pointing at a monitor showing a replay. “It should’ve been 59.”
That’s OK, though. The Ravens (7-3) didn’t need the extra yard on that drive. And they didn’t need more of the signature carries that have defined Jackson’s first seven seasons. Having matched the 24 touchdown passes he threw all of last season and well on his way to an “MV3” – a third MVP award — Jackson has written a new definition: Best quarterback we’ve ever seen.
That’s how Doug Clawson of CBS Sports described Jackson on Thursday night. Here’s his proof: Through 10 games, Jackson has established a pace for 4,537 passing yards, 915 rushing yards, 41 touchdown passes and only four interceptions. In the 105-year history of the NFL, no player has ever reached 4,000 passing yards and 800 rushing yards in the same season. That’s not all. No player has ever combined 40 passing touchdowns with 600 rushing yards.
Oh, Jackson’s also on pace for a single-season NFL record 123.2 passer rating, thanks in part to his perfect fourth quarter complete with a basketball-style jump pass. As for how the quarterback would describe Baltimore’s two games this season against the Bengals (4-6), barnburners combining for 148 points and 1,821 yards of offense, his mind is just as blown as ours.
“Video game,” said Jackson, who was 25 of 33 for 290 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. “That’s how I’d describe them. I get tired of them, but it is what it is. I’m just glad to get wins.”
Getting a win on Thursday looked bleak at halftime against the Bengals (4-6), who held Baltimore’s No. 1 offense to only 102 yards and seven points over the first two quarters. Jackson had just 71 passing yards at intermission. But he took charge of the Ravens’ locker room and told the team it needed to “score every time we take the field.”
The first time they took the field in the third quarter, Baltimore flopped. And after two offensive penalties and a punt ended the Ravens’ first drive, Joe Burow hit Ja’Marr Chase for a 67-yard touchdown to give the Bengals a commanding 21-7 lead. But luckily for the Ravens, their defense was also listening to Jackson at halftime.
Cornerback Marlon Humphrey ripped the football out of Chase Brown’s grasp and Roquan Smith recovered, the spark Baltimore needed. The Ravens capitalized on the takeaway and scored two touchdowns over the next 5½ minutes: Henry’s score set up by Jackson’s sensational run followed by Jackson’s 84-yard scoring pass — longest of his career — to Tylan Wallace. The track meet was on.
But no one believes Baltimore can continue to win in this fashion. Despite the Ravens’ historic offensive output, the defense is too vulnerable to win a Super Bowl. They picked up Tre’Davious White in a trade-deadline deal but they need a healthy Kyle Hamilton. The defensive leader sat out most of Thursday’s game but, afterward, head coach said Hamilton’s ankle injury wasn’t serious.
What is serious is a pair of games with first-place Pittsburgh (6-2) in Baltimore’s future, starting Nov. 17 at Acrisure Stadium. Also lurking ominously on that horizon are difficult road tests against the Chargers (Week 12) and Texans (Week 17), and a home game against Philadelphia (Week 13). Playoffs should be the last thing on Baltimore’s minds.
For one night in November, though, Jackson and the Ravens can enjoy what they overcame.
For more information on the Ravens, visit the Baltimore team page at ProFootballPost.com.
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