Just imagine what the Ravens can accomplish when Lamar Jackson is satisfied with his effort. In arguably the best game of the NFL’s season, the reigning MVP made probably the best play of his career in a 41-38 overtime win at Cincinnati.
Down 10 points with just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Jackson put big defensive end Sam Hubbard on a poster, dropping him with a stiff arm, then fired from the sideline with Germaine Pratt in his face. Jackson’s pass, officially 6 yards, traveled at least 28 in the air through three Bengals defenders and into the arms of tight end Isaiah Likely in the back of the end zone.
But the play started by Jackson recovering a fumbled shotgun snap. And after Jackson guided Baltimore on a nine-play drive to set up Justin Tucker’s game-tying 56-yard field goal, Jackson fumbled again in overtime. That fumble, recovered by Cincinnati at Baltimore’s 38-yard line, came after Jackson shifted his focus from the snap to the playclock. And it was heavy on his mind after the win.
“This is not an exciting win for me at all … I’m ticked off about that,” Jackson said, per beat writer Jamison Hensley. “But we got it done, so it’s cool. We got the win; that’s all that matters.”
It mattered because Cincinnati’s high snap and botched hold caused Evan McPherson to shank a game-winning 53-yard field goal. One play later, after gaining just 41 yards on 14 carries to that point, AFC Player of the Week Derrick Henry took a pitch around left end and raced 51 yards to set up Tucker’s 24-yard game-ending field goal.
“I just don’t like how that situation happened, overtime,” Jackson said, referring to his fumble. “If that probably wouldn’t have happened, I would be the happiest person in a Ravens uniform right now.”
Right now, the rest of the Ravens are happy, including Henry, who earlier in the game scored his 100th career touchdown and eclipsed 10,000 rushing yards. In only 124 NFL games, Henry became the fifth player in league history to reach each of those milestones over his first 125 contests, joining Adrian Peterson and Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith and LaDainian Tomlinson.
Jackson, meanwhile, was 26 of 42 for 348 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, along with 12 carries for 55 yards. The quarterback became the first NFL player ever with multiple games of 300-plus passing yards, 50-plus rushing yards and four touchdown passes. He also accomplished the feat in a Monday night win over Indianapolis on Oct. 11, 2021.
Jackson, Henry and the Ravens now shift their attention to possibly the best Beltway game since Baltimore launched its franchise in 1996. Tied for first place in the AFC North after Pittsburgh’s loss Sunday night, Baltimore (3-2) hosts first-place Washington (4-1) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
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