Jackson continues to make the incredible look routine
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Derrick Henry had a historic Sunday, but the Ravens’ future Hall of Fame running back deferred praise to his quarterback after his team’s improbable, 41-38 overtime win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
During the win, Henry scored his 100th career touchdown, surpassed 10,000 career rushing yards and sewed up the win with a 51-yard jaunt in overtime. Henry had a memorable day, but the future Hall of Famer used his postgame availability to praise quarterback Lamar Jackson, the two-time and reigning league MVP, who threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns in the win.
“That was like third MVP level for him,” Henry said of Jackson. “The best player in the league. He’s the GOAT for a reason.”
Henry specifically alluded to Jackson’s breathtaking touchdown pass to tight end Isaiah Likely that pulled the Ravens within a field goal in the fourth quarter. It was the best play in a game that had plenty to choose from. That touchdown was one of four on the day thrown by Jackson, who did enough to help Baltimore withstand a five-touchdown performance from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
As great as Jackson and Burrow were, both quarterbacks made crucial errors late in the game. Burrow made the first miscue when he threw a pass into the waiting arms of cornerback Marlon Humphrey late in regulation with the Bengals driving and holding a three-point lead. Baltimore parlayed the mistake into a 56-yard, game-tying field goal by Justin Tucker that tied the game, ultimately sending it to overtime.
Baltimore got the ball to start overtime, but gave it back to Burrow when Jackson fumbled with the Ravens on the cusp of field goal range. But the Bengals didn’t capitalize on the fumble, as Evan McPherson missed a field goal after getting a low snap. The Ravens then put it away on Henry’s back-breaking run that set up Tucker’s chip shot.
Jackson was happy after the game. His smile as he embraced Henry and other teammates in the locker room was evidence of that. But under that smile was frustration in his fumble that could have been costly.
“This is not an exciting win for me,” said Jackson, who said that his fumble was the result of staring at the play clock before the snap. “Not how the game ended, especially with dropping the ball and then the fumble happened. I’m ticked off about that. I didn’t want to put my defense back out there. … But we got it done. We got the win. That’s all that matters.”
The Ravens won, largely because of Jackson. Defensively, Baltimore was shredded during the middle of the game by Burrow, who looked very much like the quarterback who took Cincinnati to the Super Bowl three years ago. Burrow was nearly unstoppable whenever he threw to either Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who caught two touchdowns apiece.
But the Ravens never let the Bengals pull away, as Jackson, Henry, wideout Zay Flowers, Likely, and fellow tight end Charlie Kolar continued to match fire with fire.
In many ways, Jackson’s touchdown pass to Likely is a summary of his career to this point. He can make plays no other quarterback can make, and he isn’t afraid to take risks. On the play, Jackson dropped the ball before picking it up, running to his right, stiff-arming 265-pound Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard before throwing the ball across the field to Likely, who flashed open just as Jackson started his release.
“Really, just give 8 a chance,” Likely told CBS Sports when asked about the play. “Just throw it up, let me have a chance to go make a play on the ball.”
Likely scoring Sunday’s most memorable touchdown is poetic justice. Likely was a half-foot away from tying the score on the final play of Baltimore’s Week 1 loss to Kansas City. Baltimore lost again the following week at home to the Raiders to fall to 0-2 first the first time with Jackson as their quarterback.
But the Ravens have since rebounded with three straight wins and are now on the heels of the Steelers for first place in the AFC North. Their wins include a shootout over the Cowboys, last Sunday’s blowout victory over Buffalo and Sunday’s thriller in Cincinnati.
Baltimore wasn’t perfect on Sunday. Jackson’s fumble could have flipped the game. The offense made another notable gaffe late in the first half when Hubbard tackled Henry in the end zone for a safety, as the Ravens ultimately trailed at halftime despite leading for most of the first half. The defense never found an answer for Burrow until it was almost too late.
Speaking of Henry, the league’s leading rusher was quiet for most of the second half. But he delivered in overtime when his name was called immediately after McPherson’s missed kick. With the Bengals reeling, Henry put them out of their misery with his long run in overtime that was aided by perfect blocking.
“I ain’t gonna lie, every time he gets the ball, I think he’s gonna score,” said Flowers, who led the Ravens with 111 yards on seven receptions. “He calls himself the home run hitter, and he just keeps showing it.”
Last Sunday’s win over Buffalo was as close to you can get to perfect in the NFL. But good teams can also find ways to win games even when it’s not perfect. The Ravens did that on Sunday, and that fact was enough to make even a “ticked off” Jackson smile.
“I have to give my hat to the Bengals, because that’s an extremely talented offense over there, on all phases, and we have a talented defense,” Jackson said. “It was just one of those rivalry games, a division game, and we know anything can happen in those types of games; it’s not necessarily a blowout. I just told my guys, ‘We just have to put points on the board. We just have to keep scoring, as well.'”
