Ravens’ Jackson rushes past Vick in big win over Jets
Lamar Jackson threw five touchdown passes, scurried into the NFL record book and guided the Baltimore Ravens to their second straight AFC North title and 10th consecutive victory, 4221 over the New York Jets on Thursday night.
Baltimore (12-2) took control with touchdowns on its first three possessions and Jackson made it 28-7 in the third quarter with a 24-yard scoring pass to rookie Marquise Brown following a turnover by New York (5-9).
That was enough to assure the Ravens another division title after they clinched a playoff berth four days earlier in Buffalo. With a victory next week in Cleveland, the Ravens will be assured the top seed in the AFC, a distinction that comes with home-field advantage leading up to the Super Bowl.
Jackson ran for 86 yards (on eight carries) to break Michael Vick’s single-season record for a quarterback. Jackson has 1,108 yards rushing. Vick had 1,039 for Atlanta in 2006.
On this night, however, Jackson did most of the damage with his right arm. He completed 15 of 23 passes for 212 yards and increased his NFL-leading total of touchdown passes to 33, tying the franchise season record set by Vinny Testaverde in 1996.
After Jackson’s pass to Brown, many in the crowd of 70,545 chanted “MVP!” EX-PLAYERS CHARGED WITH FRAUD » Ten former NFL players were charged in a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud the league’s health care benefit program by submitting false claims for medical equipment, including devices used on horses, the Justice Department said Thursday.
The players were charged in two separate indictments filed in federal court in Kentucky, accusing them of conspiracy, wire fraud and healthcare fraud. Prosecutors allege they submitted nearly $4 million in phony claims, leading to payouts of about $3.4 million between June 2017 and December 2018.
Those charged include five former Washington players, including Clinton Portis and Carlos Rogers.
Prosecutors allege the players targeted the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan, which was established as part of a collective bargaining agreement in 2006. It provides tax-free reimbursement of out-of-pocket medical care expenses that were not covered by insurance and that were incurred by former players, their spouses and dependents.
“As outlined in the indictments, a group of former players brazenly defrauded the plan by seeking reimbursements for expensive medical equipment that they never purchased,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski, who leads the Justice Department’s criminal division.
Four of the suspects, Robert McCune, Rogers, John Eubanks and Ceandris
Brown, were arrested Thursday morning by the FBI. Six others had agreed to surrender to authorities, the Justice Department said. They are: James Butler, Fredrick Bennett, Etric Pruitt, Tamarick Vanover, Portis and Cornell Buckhalter.
OFF TO THE CFL » Jaguars quarterbacks coach Scott Milanovich returned to the CFL on Thursday as head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos.
Milanovich succeeds Jason Maas, who was fired after the Eskimos finished fourth in the West Division last season with an 8-10 record.
Milanovich coached the Toronto Argonauts from 2012 to 2016. He led the Argonauts to a Grey Cup title and was the CFL coach of the year in his first year with the team. Milanovich worked as an assistant with the Montreal Alouettes from 2007-11, helping them win Grey Cup titles in 2009 and 2010.
INJURY UPDATES » Giants rookie QB Daniel Jones (high ankle sprain) was limited in practice for the second straight workout, increasing the likelihood Eli Manning will start this weekend.
Falcons running back Devonta Freeman ( knee) and cornerback Isaiah Oliver (shoulder) returned to practice as limited participants.