Jackson, Ravens leave tread marks all over Titans’ field
Quarterback gets first playoff win, rushing for 136 yards. Defense cuts off Henry’s runs.
BALTIMORE 20 TENNESSEE 13
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Lamar Jackson f inally has his f irst postseason victory — and on the road, no less.
Combine that with Baltimore smothering 2,000- yard rusher Derrick Henry, and the Ravens look playoff tough.
Jackson ran for 136 yards and a 48- yard touchdown while throwing for 179 more as the Ravens rallied from 10 points down and beat the Tennessee Titans 20- 13 Sunday in their AFC wild- card game.
Baltimore also held Tennessee to its fewest points all season.
The Titans ( 11- 6) had the ball and a chance to tie when Marcus Peters intercepted Ryan Tannehill’s pass intended for Kalif Raymond with 1: 50 left. After the turnover, the Ravens came onto the field and started waving good- bye to the Titans — drawing a taunting penalty they didn’t mind at all.
“We f inally f inished,” Jackson said.
Tannehill thought Raymond was bumped by Peters.
“It definitely looked like it could’ve been a f lag and probably should’ve been, but it wasn’t thrown so here we are,” Tannehill said.
The Ravens ( 12- 5) snapped a string of 21 straight games lost by the franchise when trailing by 10 or more. They will play the Buffalo Bills in a divisional game set up by Baltimore stopping Henry for the f irst time in three games.
The All- Pro ran all over the Ravens with 328 yards combined in the previous two meetings. With both Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams back on the Baltimore defensive line, Henry had his worst performance this season with 18 carries for 40 yards.
“Our defense was tired of hearing the noise,” Jackson said. “And they did what they were supposed to do.”
Henry said the Ravens were the better team.
“This definitely is going to sting probably in my mind for the rest of this year until we suit back up,” said Henry, who missed two key plays following a seven- yard catch midway through the third quarter after losing a shoe.
Baltimore also slowed a Tennessee offense that tied for fourth averaging 30.7 points a game and had more yards per game this season than any team but Kansas City.
The Ravens finished with a 401- 209 edge in yards.
“This may be the best win I’ve ever been associated with,” said Baltimore coach John Harbaugh, who won a Super Bowl eight years ago and has eight road playoff victories, surpassing the career mark of Hall of Famer Tom Landry and Tom Coughlin.
The Titans lost their first home playoff game in 12 years and now have had three of their past eight postseasons ended on their own field by Baltimore.