Lamar Jackson, Ravens stamp themselves as title contenders
CARSON, Calif. — Lamar Jackson delivered a statement in his first prime-time game.
These old-school Baltimore Ravens are legitimate Super Bowl contenders in this new era of the NFL.
In Saturday’s 22-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Jackson and the NFL’s top-ranked defense upset the league’s hottest team at StubHub Center.
Delivering the decisive big play with his arm instead of his legs, Jackson hit tight end Mark Andrews in stride for a 68-yard touchdown and produced a career-high 204 yards passing. Baltimore’s defense limited the Chargers to a season low in points and came up with the game-sealing play: a 62-yard fumble return for a touchdown by cornerback Tavon Young.
The Ravens (9-6) are now well-positioned to reach the playoffs for the first time in four years and can take over first place in the AFC North if the Pittsburgh Steelers lose in New Orleans on Sunday. Baltimore’s final regular-season game is at home next Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
Not only did this victory stamp the Ravens as a dangerous team going forward, it was a long-awaited signature win. This marked Baltimore’s first victory over a team with at least 10 wins in the regular season in eight years, ending an eight-game losing streak to such teams.
This season, the Ravens showed they could compete against the NFL’s best, pushing the New Orleans Saints to the final seconds of regulation and taking the Kansas City Chiefs to overtime. In Baltimore’s penultimate regular-season game, the Ravens beat a Chargers team that had won 10 of its previous 11 games, including four in a row.
Everything you need this week:
• Scores, highlights and more »
• Full schedule » | Full standings »
• Weekly stats leaders »
• Updated playoff picture » | Playoff Machine »
• Injuries tracker: Who’s in, out »
More NFL coverage »
One of the biggest regular-season wins in the John Harbaugh era came one day after the Ravens announced Harbaugh would remain the head coach in 2019 as the sides work on an extension.
The Ravens led for all but one minute, thanks to Jackson and a ferocious defense. After a fumble by Baltimore running back Kenneth Dixon, Melvin Gordon scored a 1-yard touchdown to put the Chargers ahead 10-6 in the third quarter.
Two plays later, Jackson threw a 68-yard touchdown strike to Andrews. How unlikely was that long-ball toss? Before that throw, Jackson was 1-of-7 with no touchdowns on passes of at least 25 air yards in his career.
The night also served as redemption for the Baltimore defense, which has been criticized for the past two years for not finishing games in December. This time, the Ravens closed out the game with Young’s touchdown and Marlon Humphrey‘s interception in the end zone with 1:21 remaining.
The Ravens not only look like a team that can make the playoffs, but a team that can make noise in what would be its first postseason appearance since 2014.