Lamar Jackson rushes Ravens past Titans
Lamar Jackson rushed for a touchdown en route to recording his first NFL playoff win in the Baltimore Ravens’ 20-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.
Jackson completed 17 of 24 passes for 179 yards and rushed 16 times for 136 yards, including a 48-yard score with 2:32 left in the second quarter. His performance helped fifth-seeded Baltimore outgain fourth-seeded Tennessee, 401-209.
The victory propels the Ravens into the AFC semifinals next weekend, when they’ll visit either the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs or second-seeded Buffalo Bills. That will depend on the result of Sunday night’s matchup between the sixth-seeded Cleveland Browns and third-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Titans failed to build on a 10-0 first quarter lead as their high-powered offense couldn’t crank up the running game. NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry, who authored the eighth 2,000-yard rushing season in league history, was held to 40 yards on 18 carries by a defense that used run blitzes liberally.
Tennessee initiated scoring with 5:39 left in the first quarter on Ryan Tannehill’s 10-yard pass to A.J. Brown. It upped the lead to 10-0 just under four minutes later, turning Malcolm Butler’s interception of Jackson into Stephen Gostkowski’s 45-yard field goal.
Baltimore got on the board with 10:02 remaining in the first half on Justin Tucker’s 33-yard field goal, then tied the score on Jackson’s electrifying third down touchdown scamper.
Rookie J.K. Dobbins gave the Ravens the lead for good on a 4-yard scoring run with 9:01 left in the third quarter, finishing off a 77-yard drive.
Gostkowski pulled the Titans within 17-13 by nailing a 25-yard field goal to start the fourth quarter, but Tucker increased the lead to seven on a 51-yard boot with 4:23 remaining.
Tennessee’s last chance to tie the game ended when Tannehill was intercepted by Marcus Peters on the first play after the two-minute warning.
Tannehill finished the game 18 of 26 for 165 yards. The Titans managed only 83 total yards after the first quarter.
–Field Level Media
