Ravens harass Watson, beat Texans, 41-7
BALTIMORE — Deshaun Watson couldn’t run, couldn’t hide and couldn’t escape from the Baltimore Ravens’ defense.
Making matters worse for the
Houston Texans: They couldn’t handle the elusive and talented Lamar Jackson.
Jackson threw four touchdown passes and ran for 86 yards to help Baltimore extend its winning streak to six games with a 41-7 rout of the Texans on Sunday.
The game was billed as a matchup between first-place AFC teams and two of the best double-threat quarterbacks in the NFL.
Jackson and the Baltimore defense made it a one-sided affair, and now the Ravens (8-2) are riding their longest winning streak since a seven-game run in 2000, their first Super Bowl season.
“Anytime you are 8-2 you have a
special group of guys,” said running back Mark Ingram, who caught two TD passes. “We have a goal of being champions.”
After throwing three touchdown passes to put Baltimore up 21-0 in the third quarter, Jackson followed with his most impressive play of the day: a 39-yard run in which he broke six tackles, weaving through the Houston secondary as if playing keep-away with the football.
Though Jackson didn’t get into the end zone, the jaunt had a striking resemblance to his dazzling 47-yard touchdown run against the Bengals one week earlier.
“That was remarkable. It was incredible,” coach John Harbaugh said of Jackson’s downfield foray against Houston. “I haven’t seen anything quite like it — since last week.”
Ingram said: “He keeps one-upping himself.”
Watson, on the other hand, spent the entire afternoon running from a defense that utilized a variety of blitzes and coverages. Baltimore rang up seven sacks — six against Watson — forced two turnovers and limited the nimble-footed quarterback to 12 yards rushing on three carries.
“To control Deshaun Watson the way they did was a team effort,” Harbaugh said. “Great job of good, disciplined rush lanes.”
Watson went 18 for 29 for 169 yards with a lost fumble and an interception. Houston (6-4) fell behind 34-0 before Carlos Hyde ran for a 41-yard touchdown with 7:10 remaining.
Jackson remained on the sideline after that. With Robert Griffin III taking the snaps, Gus Edwards scored on a 63-yard run with 4:10 left. And with that, Watson was removed from the game, too.
“It didn’t go our way. They executed, we didn’t execute. That’s it,” Watson said.