Ravens grind out AFC wild-card win over Texans thanks to Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry heroics – New York Post
If the Baltimore Ravens are going to capture their first Super Bowl since 2012, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry will likely have everything to do with it.Glimmers of the Lombardi Trophy are still far down the road, but the offensive duo, at least through round one, has more than held up their end of the bargain.The Ravens bested the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-14 in their AFC wild-card battle on Saturday night in Baltimore on the back of their two heaviest hitters, Jackson and Henry combining for 267 rushing yards and four touchdowns. “My dad’s proud. Jack Harbaugh’s proud right now. He likes to pound the rock,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “Derrick Henry was running hard, physical. Lamar started it off. Lamar carried the ball at different times in the first drive or two.”The tandem set the tone early — scoring touchdowns on three of their four first half drives — and entered the locker room with a 21-0 lead. And though the Steelers hit pay dirt twice in the second half, head coach Mike Tomlin and company could find no answers to the Ravens’ merciless ground game. Baltimore ran the score up, the game clock down and punched a ticket to the divisional round for the second consecutive season.The game plan was made evident from the first drive — a methodical 13 play, 95-yard undertaking capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rashod Bateman. The biggest play of the drive had come several snaps earlier when Henry took a direct snap and busted his way to the Steelers’ 12-yard-line, a gain of 34.The Ravens’ second drive lasted just six plays, but Baltimore wouldn’t be held down for long — bouncing back on their third and fourth drives that looked largely similar to their first.Henry scored the Ravens’ second touchdown — an 8-yard run at the end of a 13 play, 85-yard drive — and Jackson hooked up with running back Justice Hill on drive number four for the third touchdown of the evening, giving Baltimore a 21-0 lead.Jackson’s mobility was on full display on that latter touchdown; on second down, from the Pittsburgh 5-yard line and with 11 seconds left, the quarterback scrambled and scampered, burning the clock almost all the way to zero before dumping the ball off to his wide open running back. By the time Hill trotted into the end zone, just two seconds remained.“I just think in his head, [Jackson] knows what 11 seconds is,” Harbaugh said. “The clock was going a little faster for me in my mind. I’m like, ‘Throw that thing away.’ He threw it, it was a touchdown. All I can say is ‘wow’ — I think I said ‘wow’ about seven times right there.”That drive — nine plays, 90 yards — took only 1:51.By the time the Ravens took to the locker room for halftime, Jackson had completed 13-of-15 passes for 144 yards. The first half domination was all encompassing, the Steelers had mustered just 59 total yards compared to the Ravens’ 308.And the second half offered much more of the same. Pittsburgh brought the game within 14 points by reaching the end zone on their first drive of the third quarter before Henry all but iced the contest — breaking free on a 44-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 21.The star back finished the evening with 26 carries for 186 yards and two scores.“I can just hand the ball off — 10 yards, 20 yards, 30 yards and I’m just chilling,” Jackson said. “When they’re attacking [Henry] and I go, I’m fresh. Just making my job a lot easier. We just piggy-back off of each other.”Jackson’s final stat-line: 16-for-21 through the air for 175 yards (plus 81 more on the ground), two passing touchdowns and a passer rating of 132.0.The Ravens’ 299 rushing yards was the most Pittsburgh had ever allowed in a playoff game.Baltimore will face either the Buffalo Bills or the Houston Texans, who are fresh off an upset win over the Los Angeles Chargers, in the divisional round next.— with APAdvertisement
Source: https://nypost.com/2025/01/11/sports/lamar-jackson-derrick-henry-get-ravens-off-to-quick-start/
