Lamar Jackson was sacked, or so it seemed.
Jacksonville Jaguars pass rusher Dawuane Smoot had Jackson in his grasp — until he didn’t. The Baltimore Ravens star quarterback spun away from Smoot, rolled right and lofted a pass toward the goal line. Tight end Isaiah Likely outmaneuvered two defenders to bring down the ball — and bring home a win.
The play of the game propelled the Ravens to a 23-7 victory at Jacksonville that clinched a postseason berth Sunday night.
“I just had to make a play, make something happen,” Jackson said. “I just made something happen.”
Gus Edwards scored two plays later to put the Ravens (11-3) up 17-7. That was plenty against the mistake-prone Jaguars (8-6).
“It’s pretty unique,” Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith said of Jackson. “Some of the things he’s doing, he’s the only one doing it.”
Baltimore won its fourth in a row and moved a step closer to securing the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
The Jaguars lost their third straight — all against AFC North teams — and fell into a tie with Houston and Indianapolis atop the AFC South. Self-inflicted woes have been a common thread in Jacksonville’s skid.
“That’s the head-scratcher,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said. “That’s the frustrating part. We can’t get out of our own way and that’s the frustrating part.”
Trevor Lawrence fumbled twice in the latest letdown, including one in the fourth quarter that essentially sealed Baltimore’s eighth victory in its last nine games. He was placed in the NFL’s concussion protocol after the game and not allowed to speak to the media.
This one may have been costly for the Ravens.
Promising rookie running back Keaton Mitchell suffered a season-ending left knee injury early in the fourth quarter. He flashed a thumbs-up sign as he left the sideline on a cart.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s just got a great attitude and demeanor about him.”
Added Jackson: “He was just starting to get started….
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/ravens-rb-keaton-mitchell-tears-alc-as-baltimore-clinches-afc-playoff-spot
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Publish date : 2023-12-18 22:02:29
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