WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
The Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints advance to the divisional round.
Life just keeps getting better for the NFL.
When exciting quarterback Lamar Jackson, the most dangerous rusher at his position in the Super Bowl era, showed on Sunday his playmaking can translate into a playoff victory, the Super Bowl tournament became more interesting.
The League is in the entertainment business. And the sight of Jackson whistling through the Tennessee Titans defense, as if turbocharged, moved the needle like few other plays in what already was a lively opening round to the fourtier tournament.
It seemed inevitable that Jackson, the league’s 2019 MVP, would end his little playoff drought, if not Sunday, well before the 24-yearold reached the typical peak years. Starting in 2016, when at age 19 he became the youngest player to win the Heisman Trophy, he had continued to make leaps in his growth. For example, he was noticeably stronger physically and smoother as a passer several months after he visited San Diego in June 2017, as a youth-clinic instructor at Coronado High.
Giving him solid support were the Baltimore Ravens, one of the smart franchises. They’d won Super Bowls with Trent Dilfer and Joe Flacco at quarterback, so why wouldn’t they win a playoff game with Jackson?
But his 0-2 record in the postseason was a focal point entering Sunday’s game, Jackson himself having embraced that much-hyped topic. He blamed the two playoff defeats on his shaky passing, and said he needed to squelch the mini-trend Sunday.
Overcoming a slow start that included an interception, Jackson passed for 179 yards with a touchdown and ran for 136 yards and a TD. The 20-13 road victory earned the third-year quarterback and the Ravens (12-5) a spot in the
Divisional Round on Saturday at Buffalo. No disrespect to the Titans, whose grit has made them a fun team to watch the past two years, but the Super Bowl tournament holds broader appeal with Jackson in it. For this reason: He can run past anyone.
Jackson’s TD run, the game’s biggest play, was beyond the ability of most running backs, much less most QBs. The Titans mustered a pass rush off both f lanks on the third-and-9 play, but one edge rusher ventured too far upfield. Their safety Kevin Byard, a 2017 All-Pro, had pressed forward to near the firstdown marker. When Jackson pulled the ball down and ran through the line, Byard had a good angle, outside-in.
Destroying Byard’s leverage, Jackson “ate up the grass” between the two. Now the angle belonged to Jackson, who rocketed outside of Byard and ran away from other defenders. The TD tied the score, 10-10.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh called it the best TD run he’s seen from a quarterback.
Leading up to his team’s Super Bowl matchup eight years ago, Harbaugh broke down film of Colin Kaepernick shredding the Packers (and others) in the NFC playoffs.
Until Jackson broke loose, Kaepernick stood as the only quarterback to run for 100-plus yards and a touchdown in a playoff game.
Jackson made several big plays in the second half. Using quick passes and runs, he led an opening TD drive for a 17-10 lead. The Titans (11-6) never answered behind Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry.
Though Jackson got the game ball from coaches and teammates, he didn’t do his job any better than Baltimore’s run defenders did theirs. A front led by shockingly cheap offseason acquisition Calais Campbell held Henry to 40 yards.
Henry, the NFL’s rushing champion the past two years, had gone for 100-plus yards in Tennessee’s two victories against Jackson and Co.
As a bonus, Campbell and mates seemed to intimidate Titans coach Mike Vrabel into a questionable decision with 10 minutes remaining in the game when he punted on fourth-and 2 at Baltimore’s 40. The Ravens turned the possession into a field goal, increasing their lead to 20-13. Vrabel’s team never again advanced past midfield.
Six-time Pro Bowler Campbell was obtained for just a fifth-round draft pick, in part because the Jaguars, whom he had helped reach the 2017 AFC title game, didn’t like his $15 million salary.
Getting your best players to the Super Bowl tournament, in good health, is part of the challenge every year. Campbell, still explosive at 34, will command attention from Baltimore’s next opponent. As a whole the Ravens, who lost All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley, had a fresh look to them Sunday. And it began with their quarterback, whose career rushing average of six yards per carry on nearly 500 attempts is the No. 1 skill the Ravens are trying to leverage into a third Super Bowl victory.