Spending my Sunday practically sleepwalking, a result of a 4 a.m. bedtime from a quick trip to the Orioles game Saturday night, watching the Ravens and Patriots game was horrible.
A loss for the Ravens felt inevitable, especially after last Sunday’s meltdown against Miami. Stop me if you have heard this, the Ravens defense couldn’t get a stop. Their passing game was hot and cold. Injuries were piling up like crab cakes at Phillips Seafood restaurant.
Things were not going well for Baltimore in Foxborough, or for that matter in my Kents Store home, both dogs having long since gone under the beds, their safe spaces.
Then, Lamar Jackson summoned the spectacular that so far has marked his show-me-my-money season, and the Ravens secondary finally made some stops, rising to the challenge.
This may not have been the win that sends Baltimore on to the Super Bowl, but it was huge nonetheless.
The Ravens secured their second road win of the young season, temporarily negating last Sunday’s home loss. And how did they do it? By playing Baltimore Ravens football, using a strong overall performance from their offense, a pair of timely interceptions and a forcing a fumble.
The running game finally got untracked with J.K.Dobbins in the backfield, and once again Jackson sparkled. It was “Lamar football,” as Jackson calls it. In finishing 18-for-29 for 218 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, along with 11 carries for a game-high 107 yards, Jackson continues to assault the NFL record books.
With his performance today, Jackson became the first player in NFL history to record consecutive games with at least three touchdown passes and 100 yards rushing, which was addressed in the Ravens postgame radio show.
I didn’t expect the Ravens to win today. They have never beaten New England on the road in a regular-season game And there was that slight glitch last week against the Dolphins.
Jackson, however, had different plans.
Today, in some ways, it was Lamar football from the outset. After last week’s NFL record-breaking 11th career 100-yard game, today he made it 12. Jackson had a 38-yard sprint in the third quarter that allowed Baltimore some separation. Then Jackson sealed the deal with a 9-yard score with just over three minutes left. Classic Lamar.
Despite serious sleep deprivation today, I noticed a few different tweaks with Jackson. Suddenly the Ravens QB appears to have no problem throwing into covered receivers. In the past, Jackson has been criticized for bailing out on his receivers to hastily and doing those “Lamar-being-Lamar” things again. Not so Sunday. At times Jackson appeared anxious to throw into the slightest daylight between defender and receiver.
On the touchdown pass to All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews in the second quarter, he simply trusted Andrews’ ability to win the jumpball toss against the Patriot defender, and Andrews did.
That’s the type of play that Jackson was ridiculed for not attempting or making before this season. That’s also the type of confidence a receiver likes to know his QB has in him. Don’t forget the receivers get paid to make catches.
After the game, Andrews told Ravens broadcaster Jerry Sandusky, “Lamar’s just elite, man, everything that he does for this program, the way he plays on and off the field, he’s in an elite division, for sure.”
The Ravens will have to be better next week when they welcome the 2-1 Buffalo Bills, a Super Bowl contender, comes to town.
Next week, I will attend my first Ravens game of the season. I will be well-rested, and my dogs will get a well-deserved Sunday to be dogs again.
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