With speed and flexibility, Baltimore Ravens midfielder Lamar Jackson Postseason revenge and silence those who doubted his ability to win when it mattered most.
In the Ravens’ 20-13 victory by wild cards in Tennessee, Jackson won his first playoff game and returned to a surprise loss last year to the Titans.
The NFL MVP changed the game with a 48-yard drop late in the second quarter, the second longest relegation after the season managed by the midfielder, and bounced back from an early interception to score the biggest comeback of his career. Jackson clinched the Ravens after falling 10-0 after being 0-6 in his career when he was trailing by double figures.
“It feels great,” Jackson told ESPN’s Lisa Salters. “I’m so glad we got it done.”
The Ravens will now have to wait for Sunday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns to see where they head for the AFC squad tour. If the Steelers win, Baltimore will play top seed Kansas City Chiefs, Super Bowl reigning champion. If Brown wins, the crows will visit the seeded Buffalo 2 seed.
Jackson’s post-season failures were the main storyline that went into this game. It was 0-2 in the qualifiers after a shock 28-12 loss to the Titans last year, when Baltimore was the AFC’s number one favorite with 10 points.
Jackson and Ravens then fell 10-0 in the first quarter after a poor throw on the field led to an interception, resulting in a field goal for the Titans. Unlike last season – when early fouls multiplied – Jackson rebounded by going 16 of 21 for 178 yards the rest of the way.
“We stayed focused. We didn’t panic. My coach wasn’t upset,” Jackson told Salters. “I threw a stupid objection – I’m sorry – a stupid objection. But we kept fighting and we got it.”
With 136 accelerating yards, Jackson became the second midfielder in the Super Bowl era with a total acceleration of 100 yards and scored a quick touchdown in a playoff match, joining Colin Kaepernick.
Jackson produced one of the most memorable starts in the NFL career. He was the youngest midfielder to win an NFL MVP award last season. He became the fastest midfield player to win 30 games in NFL history when he clinched the berth at the end of the season (his 37th game).
Now he finally has a post-season victory.