Lamar Jackson earns first playoff win as Ravens beat Titans
Jan. 10 (UPI) — Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens hung on for a 20-13 wild-card win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
It was Jackson’s first win in the NFL playoffs, as the Ravens (12-5) avenged their upset loss to the Titans in last year’s divisional round. He was 0-2 in the postseason entering Sunday’s game.
“It feels great,” Jackson said after Sunday’s win over the Titans. “I’m happy we got it done. … We stayed focused. We didn’t get rattled. My coaches didn’t get rattled.
“I threw a [expletive] — I’m sorry — dumb interception. But we kept fighting and made it happen.”
Jackson, the reigning NFL MVP, shifted momentum with a 48-yard touchdown scramble late in the second quarter. The scoring run, which was the second-longest in postseason history by a quarterback, tied the game 10-10 and erased the Ravens’ early 10-0 deficit.
The 24-year-old Jackson completed 17 of 24 passes for 179 yards and one interception, adding 136 yards and one score on the ground. He joined former San Francisco 49ers signal-caller Colin Kaepernick as the only quarterbacks to total at least 100 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in a playoff game.
Ravens rookie running back J.K. Dobbins gave his team the lead for good with a 4-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. The teams exchanged field goals in the final quarter, but the Titans (11-6) were unable to mount a comeback.
Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill was 18 of 26 passing for 165 yards and a touchdown. He also threw a costly interception on the Titans’ final drive after receiver Kalif Raymond slipped while running his route. The slip led to a Marcus Peters interception that sealed the victory for Baltimore.
Derrick Henry, who finished with more than 2,000 rushing yards in the regular season, recorded a season-worst 40 yards on 18 carries for the Titans. A.J. Brown led the team with six catches for 83 yards and a touchdown.
“This definitely is going to sting probably in my mind for the rest of this year until we suit back up,” Henry said.
Baltimore will play either the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs or Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round next weekend.
This week in the National Football League
Washington Football Team’s Kamren Curl celebrates with teammates after making an interception against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sunday. Washington defeated the Eagles 20-14 to win the NFC East Division with a record of 7-9. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
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