'Lamar Jackson's Personality? He IS The Ravens!' MVP QB Moves Baltimore to AFC Championship Game; Live Blog
The Baltimore Ravens played host the Houston Texans on Saturday in the Divisional round of the NFL Playoffs. ... and eventually pulled away with a 34-10 victory powered by likely MVP winner Lamar Jackson on the ground and in the air.
Thanks to the victory, the Ravens will advance to the AFC title game. But Lamar did more than run and throw the team away from its halftime tie at 10-10. It is also a "personality'' thing.
“His personality - he is the Baltimore Ravens,” said Nelson Agholor, who caught an early-game TD pass from Jackson. “He leads the right way: by example. But also, when it’s time to talk, it’s said. And then he executes. … He doesn’t just talk, talk, talk and go out there and not do nothing. He says what needs to be said and then goes out there and executes.”
Lamar did indeed "talk'' at halftime - expletives galore, it seems - and then walked the walk with a second-half burial of the upstart Texans.
“A lot of cursing at halftime,” Jackson acknowledged.
How did it all unfold? Follow along with us in live time ...
It's a contest between two of the top quarterbacks in the league and a rematch of a Week 1 contest where neither team had great quarterback play.
Back in September, Jackson threw an early interception, lost a fumble and was sacked four times. The Ravens' signal caller recovered for a 25-9 win in C.J. Stroud's NFL debut. Stroud was far from becoming the leading Rookie of the Year candidate with an interception and five sacks.
Of course, both Jackson and Stroud recovered to have stellar seasons. Jackson is the favorite to win his second NFL MVP award, and Stroud finished as the top rookie quarterback while taking his team to 10 wins and an AFC South title.
The winner on Saturday advances to the AFC championship game. The Texans have never made it that far since their inception in 2002 and are 0-4 all-time in the Divisional round. The Houston Oilers appeared in the AFC championship game ... 44 years ago.
The city of Baltimore hasn't hosted a conference championship game since the Colts beat the Raiders in 1971.
Since the opener - which served as the debut for the Ravens' new offense under coordinator Todd Monken - Baltimore has improved drastically.
“We have changed a lot as well,” Jackson said. "Just getting better and better, with our scheme and just being one unit. We added a bunch of new pieces as well on offense. We are definitely getting in synch now.”
While the Ravens were able to use their first-round bye during Super Wild Card weekend to get healthy, they'll still be without corner Marlon Humphrey. Tight end Mark Andrews, who's recovering from a Week 10 ankle injury, is questionable. Houston will be without defensive end Jerry Hughes.
Live game updates will appear here after kickoff...
1ST QUARTER:
The Texans won the toss and opts to receive to start the game. Justin Tucker kicks it through the end zone for a touchback.
Devin Singletary is stopped at the line of scrimmage by Jadeveon Clowney for no gain. C.J. Stroud's first pass is intended for Nico Collins and gets broken up by Ronald Darby. On 3rd and 10, Stroud scrambles but he's stopped three yards short of the line to gain.
Devin Duvernay returns the punt 10 yards to the Ravens' 25-yard line.
End of possession
Lamar Jackson keeps it and runs for 4 yards. Jackson rolls right and finds Zay Flowers for 8 yards and a first down.
Justice Hill runs for a yard. Jackson rolls to his right again and scrambles for 9 yards to move the chains.
Jackson has time in the pocket and hits OBJ for a 13-yard gain at the Texans' 41-yard line for another first down.
Jackson keeps it and gets tackled for a 2-yard loss by Christian Harris. Jackson's pass intended for Gus Edwards is incomplete. On 3rd and 12, Jackson's pass to Rashod Bateman gains 9 yards.
Tucker's 53-yard field goal is good with 8:36 left in the 1st quarter.
Ravens 3, Texans 0
End of possession
Tucker kicks another touchback.
Stroud's pass to Singletary gains 10 yards for Houston's first 1st down of the game.
Singletary is stopped for no gain by Justin Madubuike. Sroud dumps it off to Collins and he's blown up by Kyle Hamilton for a 2-yard gain. On 3rd and 8, Stroud is under pressure and floats it to Singletary for a 26-yard gain to the Ravens' 36-yard line.
A false start on Laremy Tunsil makes it 1st and 15. Stroud's pass is complete to Dalton Schultz for 9 yards. On 2nd and 6, Stroud is under pressure and just dumps it off short the line of scrimmage with no receiver in the area, which draws an intentional grounding penalty and pushes Houston back 10 yards. A false start moves Houston back five more yards. On 3rd and 21, Stroud's pass is incomplete.
Duvernay calls for a fair catch at the Ravens' 13-yard line.
End of possession
Edwards runs through a Sheldon Rankins tackle for 4 yards. Hill runs for 4 yards as well. On 3rd and 2, Jackson is under pressure and rolls right but his pass to Flowers is incomplete. Holding on John Simpson is declined by Houston.
The punt goes out of bounds at the Ravens' 48-yard line, but holding on Houston moves them back 10 yards when they take the field.
End of possession
Houston begins the drive at its 45-yard line. Singletary is stopped for no gain by Clowney. Stroud rolls right and his pass to Shultz hits him in the hands but he drops it. On 3rd and 10, Stroud's pass to Collins gains 10 yards for a 1st down.
A false start on George Fant makes it 1st and 15 at midfield. Stroud's pass to Schultz is complete for 21 yards and another first down.
Stroud's pass to Singletary gains just two yards. Stroud has Brevin Jordan open in the middle of the field but it's tipped and nearly picked off by Hamilton before falling incomplete. After a delay of game penalty makes it 3rd and 13, Stroud's pass is incomplete.
Kai Fairbairn's 50-yard field goal is good, tying the game with 28 seconds left in the 1st quarter.
Ravens 3, Texans 3
End of possession
Duvernay returns the short kickoff to the Ravens' 24-yard line.
Jackson keeps it and runs for 23 yards to the Ravens' 47-yard line on the final play of the opening quarter.
End of the quarter
2ND QUARTER:
Jackson's sidearm pass to Edwards loses a yard. Jackson steps up in the pocket and finds Flowers for a 17-yard gain to the Texans' 37-yard line.
Edwards runs for 9 yards and he gets another carry but is stopped for no gain. On 3rd and 1, Edwards runs for 6 yards to move the chains.
Jackson's pass to Charlie Kolar gains 5 yards. Hill runs for just a yard. On 3rd and 5, Jackson keeps it and runs for 15 yards to the Texans' 2-yard line.
On 1st and goal, Edwards is stopped for a one-yard loss. On 2nd and goal, Jackson's play-action pass finds Nelson Agholor for a touchdown.
Tucker's extra point is good with 9:14 left in the half.
Ravens 10, Texans 3
End of possession
Steven Sims returns the kickoff to the Texans' 24-yard line.
Singletary runs for 7 yards. After a couple of fakes, Stroud dumps it off to Singletary for 2 yards. On 3rd and 1, Kyle Van Noy stops Singletary for no gain to force fourth down.
Duvernay calls for a fair catch at the Ravens' 22-yard line.
End of possession
Jackson is sacked by Kurt Hinish for a 6-yard loss. Hill makes a couple of players miss before running for 5 yards. Before 3rd and 11, encroachment on Desmond King II moves Baltimore up five yards. A false start on everyone but center Tyler Linderbaum makes it 3rd and 11 again. Jackson makes a few defenders miss but he's tackled by Harris after a 1-yard gain.
Sims breaks a tackle and he runs it into the end zone for a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Fairbairn's extra point is good and ties the game with 4:17 left in the half.
Ravens 10, Texans 10
End of possession
Baltimore begins the drive at its 25-yard line after Fairbairn's touchback.
Edwards runs for 3 yards. Jackson is under pressure by Harris and he's forced to throw it away. On 3rd and 7, Jackson's pass hits off of Agholor's hands and falls incomplete.
Sims calls for a fair catch at the Texans' 27-yard line.
End of possession
Stroud rolls to his left and throws it away. Stroud dumps it off to Xavier Hutchinson and he gains 2 yards. Before 3rd and 8, a also start on Houston makes 3rd and 13. The game has reached the two-minute warning before third down. Stroud fires a laser over the middle of the field to Collins for a 29-yard gain past midfield.
Stroud and Collins connect again, this time for 16 yards to the Ravens' 31-yard line.
Singletary runs for 2 yards and gets out of bounds to stop the clock with 46 seconds left before halftime. Stroud rolls right and his pass to Robert Woods is too high. Before 3rd and 8, Houston calls its first timeout with 40 seconds remaining in the first half. Stroud rolls right and the pass is incomplete.
Fairbairn's 47-yard field goal is no good with 32 seconds left in the first half.
End of possession
Baltimore begins the drive at its 37-yard line with all three timeouts. Jackson is sacked by Blake Cashman for a 9-yard loss. Baltimore calls its first timeout with 25 seconds left in the half. Jackson is sacked again, this time for a 14-yard loss by King II and Harris. Houston calls its second timeout with 21 seconds left before halftime. Hill runs for 12 yards on 3rd and 32 and the Texans call their final timeout with 15 seconds left in the half.
The punt is downed at the Texans' 18-yard line.
End of possession
Stroud takes a knee and the game has reached halftime.
HALFTIME: Ravens 10, Texans 10
3RD QUARTER:
Duvernay has a big return the the Ravens' 45-yard line to begin the 2nd half.
Jackson's pass to Ahgolor gains 9 yards. Jackson and Isaiah Likely connect for the first time this game and gain 19 yards to the Texans' 27-yard line.
Jackson keeps it and runs for 3 yards. Jackson finds Rashod Bateman for 9 yards and another first down.
Jackson's pass intended for Likely in the end zone is broken up. Jackson drops back to pass then runs it into the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown.
Tucker's extra point is good with 12:04 left in the 3rd quarter.
Ravens 17, Texans 10
End of possession
Tucker's kick goes through the end zone for a touchback.
Stroud's pass to Singletary gains 7 yards. Singletary is stopped by Roquan Smith for a 3-yard loss. On 3rd and 6, Stroud rolls right and hits Schultz for a 7-yard gain and a first down.
Singletary gains just a yard. Stroud is under pressure again and throws it away but holding on Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens gives the Texans a first down.
Stroud rolls right again and runs for three yards before going out of bounds. Singletary has a big run for 16 yards to the Ravens' 37-yard line to move the chains again.
The Texans run a trick play and it doesn't pan out, as Hutchinson is tackled for a 5-yard loss. Stroud's pass intended for Collins is broken up by Marcus Williams. On 3rd and 15, Stroud dumps it off to Schultz for just a two-yard gain.
The punt is downed at the Ravens' 7-yard line with 6:26 left in the 3rd quarter.
End of possession
Edwards runs for 9 yards. He gets another carry on a toss and runs for 5 more yards to move the chains.
Jackson has all day and finds Bateman for a 21-yard gain and another first down.
Jackson dumps it off to Flowers and gains 5 yards. Hill runs for 3 yards. On 3rd and 2, Hill is stopped short of a first down. Baltimore goes for it on 4th and 1 and after a Jackson play-fake, he keeps it and runs for 14 yards to the Texans' 35-yard line.
Jackson is under pressure and his pass intended for Agholor is incomplete. Jackson dumps it off to Hill for a 10-yard gain to move the chains again. After discussion, the refs are moving the ball back 2 yards because that's where Hill stepped out of bounds. On 3rd and 2, Jackson's pass to Hill gains 3 yards for a first down.
With two seconds left in the 4th quarter, Jonathan Greenard jumps offsides. It'll be 1st and 5 when the 4th quarter begins.
End of the quarter
4TH QUARTER:
Baltimore is in the red zone and Edwards runs for 4 yards. Jackson fakes like he's running to his right and his pass is complete to a leaping Likely in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown.
Tucker's extra point is good with 14:23 left in the game.
Ravens 24, Texans 10
End of possession
Tucker boots it through the end zone for a touchback. Stroud rolls right and he has to throw it away before he's hit. Stroud's pass to Schultz gains 5 yards. Before 3rd and 5, Baltimore calls its first timeout of the 2nd half. Linebacker Patrick Queen is being looked at by trainers after he was banged up on the previous play. On 3rd and 5, Stroud is under pressure and he rolls left before throwing it away again.
The punt is downed at the Ravens' 22-yard line.
End of possession
Hill runs for 9 yards. He gets another handoff and runs for a 1st down, but an illegal shift negates the play. On 2nd and 6, Jackson keeps it and runs for 10 yards to move the chains. Texans linebacker Denzel Perryman is down on the field.
Edwards runs for a yard and then Hill breaks a big run for 14 yards to the Texans' 49-yard line.
Hill runs for 2 yards. Dalvin Cook gets his first carry of the game and he runs for 21 yards.
Cook gets another handoff and runs for 4 yards. Cook gets stopped for a one-yard loss on second down. On 3rd and 7, Jackson's pass is complete to Flowers and he makes a Ravens defender miss before turning it into an 11-yard gain.
Hill runs for 5 yards to the Texans' 8-yard line. Houston calls its first timeout of the second half with 6:26 left in the game. Jackson fakes it to Hill and he runs it into the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown.
Tuck's extra point is good with 6:20 left in the game.
Ravens 31, Texans 10
End of possession
Sims returns the kickoff to the Texans' 29-yard line. Baltimore is challenging if Sims fumbled on the return and it looks like the call will stand. The call stands and Baltimore loses a timeout, leaving them with one for the rest of the game.
Stroud has to roll to his right and his pass is incomplete. Darby comes off the field with an arm injury. Stroud's pass intended for Schultz is incomplete. Holding on Houston moves them back 10 yards, making it 2nd and 20. Stroud's pass to Woods gains 6 yards. Before 3rd and 14, The Texans have another false start. On 3rd and 19, Stroud dumps it off to Dare Ogunbowale for 13 yards. On 4th and 6, Stroud's pass is incomplete for a turnover on downs.
End of possession
Baltimore has the ball at the Texans' 33-yard line. Cook runs for 4 yards and Houston uses its second timeout with 4:58 left in the game. Cook gets another carry and runs for a yard. The Texans use their final timeout with 4:53 left to play. On 3rd and 5, Hill runs for 2 yards. On 4th and 3, Baltimore goes for it and Hill runs for 5 yards and a first down.
Cook runs for 2 yards and then he's stopped for a 3-yard loss. On 3rd and 11, Cook is stopped for a 3-yard loss on the final play before the two-minute warning.
Tucker's 43-yard field goal is good.
Ravens 34, Texans 10
End of possession
Dameon Pierce fumbles on the return and it's recovered by Houston at its 30-yard line.
After three plays by Houston, that's the ballgame.
FINAL: Ravens 34, Texans 10
