Field Level Media
Dec 30, 2018
Lamar Jackson rushed for two touchdowns Sunday and accounted for 269 all-purpose yards as the Baltimore Ravens clinched the AFC North title with a 26-24 win over the visiting Cleveland Browns.
The Ravens (10-6), who went 6-1 with Jackson at quarterback after veteran Joe Flacco was injured midseason, will host the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday at 1p.m. ET in the wild-card round. Baltimore dumped Los Angeles 22-10 on Dec. 22 in Carson, Calif.
Jackson completed 14 of 24 passes for 179 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions while rushing 20 times for 90 yards. Kenneth Dixon piled up 117 yards on 12 carries and Gus Edwards chipped in 76 yards on 12 attempts as the Ravens finished with 296 yards on the ground.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield hit 23 of 42 attempts for 376 yards, three touchdowns and three picks for Cleveland (7-8-1). With 3:24 left in the game, Mayfield zipped a 1-yard scoring strike to Antonio Callaway for his 27th touchdown pass of the season, a new NFL rookie record.
The extra point drew the Browns within two points, and they got the ball back at their 26 with 1:49 remaining after getting a three-and-out. Completions to Breshad Perriman and Jarvis Landry -- both of which had to pass muster during a review -- got Cleveland to the Baltimore 39, but C.J. Mosley tipped a fourth-down pass and then intercepted it with 1:02 left to seal it.
Justin Tucker made the first of his four field goals from 38 yards to start the scoring for Baltimore at the 9:27 mark of the first quarter, but Mayfield found Perriman for a 28-yard touchdown pass little more than a minute later.
Jackson put the Ravens ahead to stay on a 25-yard scoring run with 4:46 remaining in the quarter, then upped the lead to 17-7 on the first play of the second quarter with an 8-yard scoring run. Tucker's 35-yard field goal made it a 20-7 game at halftime.
Mayfield and Landry hooked up for a 48-yard touchdown pass just 2:33 into the third quarter to pull Cleveland within 20-14. Tucker sandwiched 44- and 23-yard field goals around a 35-yard boot by the Browns' Greg Joseph, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.
The Ravens would have missed the playoffs with a loss, as the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 16-13 to finish at 9-6-1.
--Field Level Media