BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Ravens are in control of their playoff fate as everything fell into place for them on a perfect Sunday afternoon.
The Ravens soundly ran over the New York Giants 27-13, and then needed either the Cleveland Browns or the Indianapolis Colts to lose. In the end, Baltimore got help from both as the Colts collapsed in Pittsburgh and the Browns got upset by the New York Jets.
All the Ravens (10-5) need to do is win at the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday and they will clinch a postseason berth for the third straight season.
"It feels great, but we still have Cincinnati in our way," said quarterback Lamar Jackson, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for 80 yards. "We have to get ready for them, because those guys are going to come to play. We're going to Cincinnati, so we just have to be ready and focus on those guys."
The Ravens are currently the No. 6 seed in the seven-team AFC playoff field. Baltimore's chances of reaching the postseason is 92%, according to ESPN's Football Power Index.
In winning their fourth straight game, Jackson and the Ravens didn't look like a team needing losses elsewhere to get into the playoffs. Baltimore looked like a team playing its best football at the right time.
The Ravens scored on all four of their first-half drives and hammered out 249 yards rushing against the league's No. 6 run defense. It marked the third time in four games the NFL's top ground attack has totaled over 200 yards rushing.
"You try not to look too far elsewhere, but we control our own fate, and that's a great feeling," Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said. "We've got to go play a really, really good [Cincinnati] Bengals team this next week and try to get better and reach the playoffs. And that's all we can focus on -- is the next game -- not focus on the playoffs. We're just trying to get better and win this game, and the cards will fall how they fall."
Describe the game in two words. Another beatdown. Jackson doesn't let up against lesser opponents, and the Giants (5-10) found that out Sunday. Jackson is 9-0 in his career against teams that are at least three games below .500, according to ESPN Stats & Information. In those games, Baltimore has been dominant, winning by a total of 141 points, an average margin of 17.2 points per game.
Promising trend: The Ravens are revving up their pass rush. Baltimore sacked Daniel Jones six times, which included three straight plays in the fourth quarter. Ravens defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale stressed patience when Baltimore recorded four sacks in six games when quarterbacks got rid of the ball quickly. In two games since, the Ravens have totaled 11 sacks.
Eye-popping stat: The Ravens gained over 100 yards rushing by the second quarter and continued their march in the NFL record books in doing so. With its 38th straight game of 100 yards rushing, Baltimore tied the second-longest streak in league history. Only the 1974-77 Pittsburgh Steelers have a longer streak at 43 consecutive games.
Up next: At the Cincinnati Bengals. The Ravens have won two of their past three at Paul Brown Stadium, including a 49-13 win last season. In that game, Jackson delivered his spectacular spin move on a 47-yard touchdown run.
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December 28, 2020 at 04:27AM
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Lamar Jackson and Ravens run over Giants to continue playoff push - Baltimore Ravens Blog- ESPN - ESPN
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