'That's Why He's The MVP': Ravens QB Lamar Jackson Dazzles and Dominates vs. Texans
Even DeMeco Ryans had to praise Lamar Jackson for his efforts in front of a packed M&T Bank Stadium as the Baltimore Ravens sliced and diced through the Houston Texans' defense.
"That's why he's the MVP," said Ryans following a 34-10 loss in the AFC Divisional Round.
Entering the stadium on a chilly Saturday afternoon, the Texans knew to secure a win, it started with stopping Jackson, a human highlight reel with the ability to turn a broken play into a moment for the ages.
That was the case for most teams throughout the regular season as the Baltimore Ravens chugged along toward a 13-4 season. Everyone was tasked with containing No. 8.
Four teams were lucky enough to complete the mission. Thirteen others were sent home packing.
Including the Texans twice.
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Jackson, the favorite to win the league MVP, picked apart Houston's defense, throwing for 152 yards and two touchdowns while tacking two more on the ground to help the Ravens advance to their first AFC Championship since 2013.
Entering his sixth season, questions still surrounded Jackson and his ability to win the big one. He posted a 1-3 record in three postseason trips, with his last win coming against the Tennessee Titans in the wild-card round back in 2020.
New team, same conference, same result. Behind Jackson's legs, Baltimore gained momentum and never looked back. As for Jackson, he added another accolade to his young career, surpassing Collin Kaepernick for the most 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback with three.
Jackson finished the afternoon 16 of 22 passing. He averaged 9.1 yards per carry and picked up eight of the Ravens' 11 first-down run conversions. He also became the fourth passer in postseason history to total 100 rushing yards and two touchdown passes.
And all Houston could do was watch. Maybe pray for a mistake behind the line as well that would bode well for team morale.
That didn't happen. Most times when facing Baltimore, it doesn't, even for established defenses that have weeks to prepare for the mobility of a player like Jackson.
As Texans fans begin to prep for empty Sundays back home, they can consider Saturday a near-spitting image of the Week 1 showdown from September. Houston corraled Jackson to force an early interception and kept optimism high heading into halftime behind special teams. Ka'imi Fairbairn drilled a pair of field goals, including a 43-yard shot to make it 7-6 at halftime.
Special teams carried weight for Houston once more. Steven Sims found a crease and bolted for the end zone for a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown to tie the game at 10. Fairbairn made a 50-yard field goal to put Houston on the board in the closing seconds of the first quarter.
Jackson responded coming out of halftime with a 15-yard touchdown run. He later picked up a pair of first downs to keep Baltimore's ensuing drive alive and capped it off with a scramble on second-and-1 to set up a 15-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely.
Jackson’s final touchdown came on an 8-yard scamper with 6:20 remaining. Fans erupted as the quarterback crossed the goal line and kept right into the tunnel near the south end zone.
All Houston could do was idle from afar and realize the clock on its Cinderella run was coming to a close.
Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud looked poised in the first half but struggled to evade the pressure. Baltimore's defense swallowed Devin Singletary for minimal gain, making the offense one-dimensional.
Careless penalties took away scoring opportunities for the offense, too. Houston was flagged a franchise record 11 times, including five false starts from four different offensive linemen. Stroud, who finished with 175 passing yards, was also called for an intentional grounding call and a delay of game.
Even with a perfect offensive game plan, everything boiled down to stopping Jackson. Despite a breakout season, filled with optimism building toward 2024 with a franchise quarterback, defensive stalwart, and emerging talent on both sides, the Ravens were the better team.
They've been that way since Week 1 after defeating Houston 25-9 and never looked back. Houston played over 120 minutes in Baltimore and couldn't score an offensive touchdown in the span. Six other teams walked away with an L and 10 points or fewer on the scoreboard, too.
Stroud, the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, could end up claiming MVP honors in the future. He could tally several, and no one would be shocked after shattering franchise records in 15 regular season games.
That comes for another day — a brighter one with more experience attached to his resume. On Saturday, it was Jackson's time to take center stage, just like it was Stroud's time to shine last week in Houston.
Jackson did more than dazzle en route to locking up the MVP. He took over the game and the narrative surrounding his postseason persona.
Even Ryans had to tip his hat to that.
