Ravens’ Lamar Jackson exorcises playoff demons, dominates Texans

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BALTIMORE You could see Ravens fans shaking their heads and feel the tension in the air at halftime of Saturdays playoff game against the Texans.

Baltimore had just finished with three punts to end the first half. Lamar Jackson was struggling against a blitzing Houston defense, and the score was tied, 10-10.

Not again.

That was the prevailing mood inside of M&T Stadium. Since Jackson took over as the Ravens starting quarterback in 2018, the Charm City fans had been treated to brilliant individual play. Jackson can be mesmerizing to watch when he takes off from the pocket and slices through the middle of a defense. Jackson won the league MVP in 2019. He is expected to walk away with a second MVP award in a few weeks.

But for all of his brilliance from September to December, his time with the Ravens has also been marked with struggles in January. Before Saturdays game, he was 1-3 with five interceptions in the playoffs. He lost to the Chargers after the 2018 season. Then, he was blown out by the Titans after his 2019 MVP season when the Ravens entered as the No. 1 seed. A year later, the Bills beat Jackson and the Ravens in the divisional round.

Ravens__Lamar_Jackson_exorcises_playoff_demons__dominates_Texans 3Nelson Agholor (right) celebrates his touchdown catch with Lamar Jackson during the first half of the Ravens’ 34-10 win over the Texans. APSo, you could understand the feeling of dread that hovered over the stadium just like the freezing temperatures.

Jackson exorcised the ghosts of 2019 and silenced the doubters who questioned whether he could win in the playoffs. There will be another game here next week with the first AFC Championship game in Baltimore since Jan. 3, 1971, when the old Baltimore Colts beat the Oakland Raiders to advance to Super Bowl V.

Lamar just played out of his mind, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said.

Jackson will square off next with either Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen depending on Sundays playoff game in Buffalo, a heavyweight quarterback battle that will be dissected for the next week.

There will be questions about how Jackson matches up, but no one can question his ability to deliver in a big spot again.

Ravens__Lamar_Jackson_exorcises_playoff_demons__dominates_Texans 3Lamar Jackson had a pair of rushing touchdowns in Baltimore’s win on Saturday. APJackson got some help from a stout defense that did not allow a touchdown, but there was not any question who was did the heavy lifting to get the Ravens to one game away from the Super Bowl.

This is why the Ravens did not entertain his trade request last March and instead signed him to a five-year, $260 million contract in April. Jackson accounted for 252 of the Ravens 352 yards in the game and all four touchdowns. He rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns.

Things got tight for the Ravens late in the first half when Steven Sims returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 10-10. The Ravens ended the first half with two three-and-outs, including the Texans sacking Jackson twice on their final possession. That led to the halftime grumbling and head shaking.

Inside the Ravens locker room, Jackson delivered an expletive-filled message to his teammates.

Ravens__Lamar_Jackson_exorcises_playoff_demons__dominates_Texans 3Lamar Jackson threw a pair of touchdowns in the Ravens’ divisional playoff win Saturday. APIt would be inappropriate if I said it, Jackson said with a smile. A lot of cursing.

You could feel the difference in Jackson instantly in the second half. The blitzes that were rattling him at the end of the first half were now ineffective as he got rid of the ball quickly. He hit Nelson Agholor for nine yards on first down, then Isaiah Likely for 19 yards, then Rashod Batemen for 9 yards before running up the middle for a 15-yard touchdown, allowing everyone in the stadium to see their breath again in the frigid Baltimore night.

He threw a 15-yard touchdown to Likely on the next drive and then ran eight yards for his third touchdown of the half after that. Jackson kept running up the tunnel a la Bo Jackson after that final touchdown, ending a memorable night.

Any quarterback-needy team could have tried to sign Jackson last winter when the Ravens used the franchise tag on him. Instead, team after team let it be known they were not interested.

The Ravens should send a thank-you note to those teams. After some tense moments early on Saturday, Jackson delivered in the second half.

The January doubts are dead. The February Super Bowl dreams are still very much alive.

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