The Baltimore Ravens showed championship identity and DNA. Looking a step slow, out of structure or even lost in their execution, the Ravens offense could not get anything going for nearly three full quarters. Then quarterback Lamar Jackson put on his Superman cape and eluded the shaky Bengals defense in a bobbing and weaving run of excellence that sparked a comeback.
Jackson, who is in line for his third MVP award,
scrambled 20 yards back from the line of scrimmage before dancing like the late, great Michael Jackson in, out and around would-be Bengals tacklers along the sideline for one of the most dazzling 10-yard runs you will ever see.
On the very next play, Derrick Henry scored and the Ravens were on their way to scoring 20 consecutive points to key a thrilling 35-34 comeback victory over their nemesis from the AFC North, Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night.
“Just trying to make something happen, that’s all that was,” Jackson said of the scramble that came with the Ravens trailing by two touchdowns, 21-7, and ignited a Ravens rally. “I was going to try to throw the ball away but when I turned, I just had room so it was like, just get as much yards as I could. I should’ve scored.”
In a game filled to the brim with highlights and statistical masterpieces on both sides, Jackson separated himself, completing 25 of 33 passes for 290 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions and an exemplary 141.4 passer rating. He also used his electric wheels, carrying the ball seven times for 33 yards. It was how he dusted himself off and recharged his batteries from an uncharacteristically sluggish first half with an extraordinary second that was truly remarkable.
Embed from Getty Images“I mean, what can you say? We have seen it before. I just think he took the game on his shoulders like he does,” Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh said. “But appreciate the other guys with him.”
The supporting cast alongside Jackson included the seldom-used Tylan Wallace, who followed Jackson’s tightrope scramble with a touchdown catch of 84 yards on the ensuing drive. Then it was Jackson’s longtime top target, Mark Andrews, who snagged an 18-yard lob. After that, Jackson made a jumping alley-oop to Rashod Bateman for a 5-yard score with 1:49 remaining in the fourth quarter that would prove to be the game-winner after the Bengals came up short on a go-ahead two-point conversion attempt.
“It starts with Lamar and often times it ends with Lamar,” Harbaugh said. “But in between Lamar and Lamar, there’s a lot of great players out there that are surrounding him, and I think that’s kind of where our offense is at right now.”
Jackson came up big over and over again in the second half after struggling mightily through the first 30 minutes for just 71 yards passing.
Over the final two quarters, Jackson was a perfect 7 for 7 on third down, throwing all three of his second-half touchdowns for 133 yards in the process.
It was the second nail-biter of the season against the Bengals this season, and the second win for Jackson and the Ravens, who prevailed, 41-38, in overtime during Week 5.
In each contest, Jackson led his team like the pilot on a plane, to comeback triumphs despite trying circumstances, double-digit deficits in the second half, throwing a quartet of touchdowns in both roller-coaster rides.
Statistically speaking, it was his counterpart Joe Burrow (428 yards, four touchdown passes) and Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who did his best Randy Moss impression, offered the most jaw-dropping stats with 11 catches for 264 yards. But it was Jackson and company who had the last laugh coming out on top one more time.
“That’s an explosive offense,” Jackson said. “Burrow’s a great quarterback. Chase is a great receiver. Knew what type of game it would be and we came out on top, and that’s all the matters.”
Though it was the reigning AP NFL Most Valuable Player’s arm that was the reason for the majority of the Ravens’ offensive success, the comeback was initiated from a Marlon Humphrey forced fumble and Jackson’s fleet feet.
Holding a seemingly comfortable 21-7 advantage in the third quarter, the Bengals fumbled away possession when Chase Brown was stripped by Humphrey.
“I feel like when Marlon had forced that fumble,” Jackson said, “that kind of woke us up because I feel like we were sleeping throughout the whole first half.”
Just four plays later on second-and-9 from the Cincinnati 11-yard line, Jackson dropped back, way back.
Jackson, according to Next Gen Stats, traveled 58.1 yards in total in route to a first down run to the Bengals’ 1. There was a myriad of massive plays ahead, but it was Jackson’s run of ridiculousness that got it all going.
“I was telling my guys on the sideline we got to score,” Jackson said. “If they score, we got to score, that’s the type of game it’s gonna be. We saw that from the first snap, but I’m proud of my guys because we finished one of these tough-type environmental games. We came through.”
After a mini-buy, the Bengals travel to Los Angeles to taken on Justin Herbert and the Chargers on November 17.
The Ravens back their bags and make the short trip to Pittsburgh to battle it out with their longstanding rival Russell Wilson and the Steelers on November 17.
