Miami (AFP) – Lamar Jackson threw five touchdowns and Derrick Henry racked up 169 rushing yards as the Baltimore Ravens trampled over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to score a 41-31 victory in the NFL on Monday. Ravens quarterback Jackson was in superb form, orchestrating another devastating offensive performance to give Baltimore a fifth straight win that leaves them on top of the AFC North with a 5-2 record.
Jackson finished with 281 passing yards from 17-of-22 attempts while adding a further 52 rushing yards from nine carries. Running back Henry was similarly dominant, shredding the Tampa Bay defense with a series of spectacular carries, including one 81-yard blast in the third quarter that set up Baltimore’s fourth touchdown of the night. “We showed we can play with everybody, against anybody,” Jackson told ESPN after helping the Ravens amass more than 500 offensive yards. “But it’s a long season; we’ve just got to keep it going one game at a time.”
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A miserable night for Tampa Bay was exacerbated by injuries to star receivers Mike Evans’s hamstring and Chris Godwin’s lower left leg, forcing both to leave the game. Godwin’s injury came in the final seconds, with the 28-year-old Super Bowl-winner being carted off the field after receiving treatment for several minutes. “Early indications are it’s a dislocated ankle,” Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles said of Godwin’s injury. “It doesn’t look good.”
Earlier, the Bucs had started brightly to open up a 10-0 lead after quarterback Baker Mayfield connected with Evans for a 25-yard touchdown before Chase McLaughlin added a 23-yard field goal with the final drive of the first quarter. But after shaking off their early offensive sluggishness, the Ravens hit back to open the second quarter with a brisk, six-play, 70-yard touchdown drive. Jackson marched his team upfield to the Tampa Bay nine-yard line, before finding tight end Mark Andrews in space for a simple close-range score.
The Bucs looked poised to make an instant response when Mayfield moved the chains to the Baltimore three-yard line on the next possession. But a short pass intended for Jalen McMillan was picked off by Marlon Humphrey to hand possession back to Baltimore. Jackson took full advantage of that blunder, carving open the Bucs secondary with a 59-yard passing play to Rashod Bateman that left the Ravens with 1st & goal. Jackson completed the drive with a touchdown pass to Justice Hill to make it 14-10 after the extra point.
Another Tampa Bay interception led to Justin Tucker slotting a routine 28-yard field goal to leave Baltimore 17-10 up at the break. The onslaught continued in the third quarter, with Baltimore adding two more touchdowns and a field goal to make it 34-10 and effectively put the game to bed. Although Tampa Bay rallied with two fourth-quarter touchdowns either side of Baltimore’s fifth touchdown of the night, the result was never in doubt.
In Monday’s other NFL game, the Arizona Cardinals squeezed past the Los Angeles Chargers, winning 17-15 with a 32-yard field goal from Chad Ryland with the final kick of the game.
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