An AFC North title on his back, Lamar Jackson is ready for another postseason run. This time, however, he has Derrick Henry running behind him. And in their final tune-up for the playoffs, the Ravens ran all over the Browns on Saturday night, 35-10.
Jackson passed for 217 yards with touchdown passes to Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews, and added 63 rushing yards for Baltimore (12-5). He also provided a tantalizing morsel for MVP voters, finishing as the first player in NFL history to eclipse 4,000 passing yards and 800 rushing yards in the same season.
“Feels good. Hat and T-shirt game,” Jackson said.
The Ravens clinched a second straight division crown and locked up the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs. Hosting either the Chargers or Steelers next week, Baltimore will look to improve its 2-4 postseason record with Jackson under center.
To get there, the Ravens figure to feed Henry. In his first year in Baltimore, the commanding back recorded 1,921 rushing yards to become the only player in league history with multiple 1,900-yard seasons. And when Baltimore gave him 20-or-more carries, the Ravens were 8-0. They were 4-5 in the other games.
Playing on his 31st birthday Saturday, Henry exploded for 138 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns, including a 43-yard burst in the fourth quarter. He also joined two Hall of Famers on a pair of prestigious all-time lists. With his 106th rushing touchdown, Henry tied No. 6 Jim Brown. And with 11,423 career rushing yards, he surpassed John Riggins (11,352) for 19th on all-time rushing list.
Baltimore also got two significant interceptions. Rookie Nate Wiggins registered the first interception and touchdown of his career when he picked off Bailey Zappe and raced 26 yards to draw first blood halfway into the initial quarter. Then, in what coach John Harbaugh called “the most crazy, amazing play in NFL history,” 355-pound nose tackle Michael Pierce dropped back into coverage and intercepted Zappe to end a fourth-quarter drive.
The Ravens’ biggest concern following Saturday’s win is the status of Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers, who left with a knee injury early in the second quarter and didn’t return. Afterward, Harbaugh said the injury is something that Flowers “has a chance to be OK with” but would have more details following an MRI on Sunday morning.
Cleveland, meanwhile, finished the season 3-14 to guarantee either a top-three selection in the 2025 draft. A New England or Tennessee win on Sunday would factor into the Browns’ drafting position. Cleveland will reportedly bring back quarterback Deshaun Watson but should have the ability to draft a quarterback in the first round.
For more information on the Ravens and Browns, visit the Baltimore and Cleveland team pages at ProFootballPost.com.
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