Baltimore, Jackson win a wild one
Outlast rival Cleveland with late scoring spree
CLEVELAND — Lamar Jackson emergedfrom the locker room, saved the game and maybe Baltimore’s season.
Back on the field after being forced out by cramps, Jackson threw a 44yard touchdown pass to Marquise Brown and then set up Justin Tucker’s 55-yard field goal with two seconds left, helping the Ravens to a wild 47-42 victory against the Cleveland Browns that helped them stay in the playoff picture.
A Monday night game dripping with playoff intensity delivered with endless drama and stunning twists.
Tucker, who made 70 consecutive field goals inside 40 yards before he missed last week, had plenty of distance on his kick to give the Ravens (8-5) a much-needed win.
It was a gut punch for the Browns (9-4), who had rallied from a 14-point deficit to take the lead while Jackson was out.
The Browns had one last chance after Tucker’s kick, but a series of laterals on the final play ended with a safety that affected gamblers all over the country. The Ravens were favored by 3 on the opening line.
The NFL’s top two rushing teams combined for nine rushing touchdowns, tying a league record set in 1922.
Jackson rushed for two touchdowns while rescuing his teammates,who have overcome a COVID19 outbreak and numerous scheduled changes so far in 2020.
With the Ravens down, 42-35, Jackson returned from the locker after backup quarterback Trace McSorley suffered a leg injury when he slipped on a slick FirstEnergy StaSEE dium field that was tough for players
to cut on all game.
On fourth-and-5, Jackson calmly rolled to his right and found a wide-open Brown in the middle of the field and he easily outran Cleveland’s defenders for the touchdown.
But Baker Mayfield wasn’t going to be denied. He drove the Browns 75 yards, hitting running back Kareem Hunt for a 22-yard touchdown pass with 1:04 left.
Jackson then showed why he’s a superstar.
The reigning NFL MVP completed two consecutive passes to tight end Mark Andrews for 28 yards and moved the Ravens in range for Tucker, one of the most accurate kickers in league history.
Mayfield had shaken off a costly interception and brought the Browns back, scrambling from the pocket a la Jackson and scoring on a run with 6:33 left.
Cleveland looked like a different team — like a playoff team.
Jackson was playing in his second game since returning from the COVID-19 list. Before he left late in the third quarter with the Ravens leading, 34-20, he had rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
Browns players and coaches insisted last week they were a completely different team than the one the Ravens pummeled in the Sept. 13 season opener in Baltimore.
They proved they were right on “Monday Night Football,” but they still fell to the Ravens in heartbreaking fashion
The Browns (9-4) had their four-game winning streak snapped and lost at home for just the second time this season. A win would have moved them to within one game of the Steelers (11-2) in the race for the division.
The Steelers play at Cleveland in the regular-season finale.