Miami (AFP) – Lamar Jackson delivered another impressive record as the Baltimore Ravens clinched the AFC North and the third seed in the conference with a 35-10 win over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday. The win means the Ravens will begin the NFL playoffs next week at home to either the Los Angeles Chargers or the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But there was a concern for Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh with his leading wide receiver, Zay Flowers, suffering a right knee injury in the second quarter. Flowers, who limped off the field, has become Jackson’s favored wide receiver with a team-leading 1,059 yards on 74 receptions. Jackson, in the running for a third Most Valuable Player award, threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns while adding 63 yards on the ground. He ends the regular season with 4,172 yards passing and 915 yards rushing, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to finish with 4,000+ passing yards and 800+ rushing yards.
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The Browns (3-14) finished their dismal campaign with six straight losses, and they were never in contention against the 12-5 Ravens. Browns quarterback Bailey Zappe was picked off on his team’s first drive, with Nate Wiggins returning the ball 26 yards for a touchdown. Jackson found Mark Andrews with a 12-yard touchdown pass at the start of the second quarter to open up a 14-0 lead.
Jackson then connected with Rashod Bateman with a seven-yard touchdown pass, and although Jordan Akins caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Zappe to reduce the deficit, the Ravens made sure of the win with two rushing scores from Derrick Henry—the second a 43-yard effort. Henry put up 138 yards on 20 carries for Baltimore, who have recovered from their 0-2 start to the campaign in some style.
Later on Saturday, the Cincinnati Bengals look to keep their playoff hopes alive until Sunday at least against the Steelers.
© 2024 AFP
