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BALTIMORE — Lamar Jackson threw two landing passes and ran for 2 scores, and the Baltimore Ravens pulled away within the second half for a 34-10 win over the Houston Texans on Saturday to advance to the AFC championship recreation.
On one among his best speeding days of the season, Jackson helped the Ravens take management within the third quarter after the groups entered the half tied at 10.
His 15-yard scoring run put the Ravens forward to remain. Though C.J. Stroud had a stable, composed first half, the Texans in the end couldn’t flip sufficient promising drives into factors towards a powerful Ravens protection.
“They motivated us to go put factors on the board,” Jackson mentioned. “They’re stopping an opposing group, an excellent group, led by an awesome quarterback. Our protection, generally they get us and generally we get them, get our momentum going, and it was them tonight.”
Now the Ravens will host the AFC title recreation for the primary time since January 1971, when the Colts beat the Oakland Raiders on their approach to a Tremendous Bowl championship. The Ravens will play in that semifinal spherical for the fifth time since their arrival in Baltimore. They’ll tackle the winner of Sunday’s matchup between Buffalo and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
“It’s simply, you recognize, the primary playoff (recreation) we acquired previous, lastly within the AFC championship,” Jackson mentioned. “So, nonetheless acquired extra work to do.”
Ravens followers have been haunted by what occurred within the playoffs 4 years in the past, when the group went 14-2 within the common season however dropped its postseason opener to the Tennessee Titans. The Texans did sufficient to create some anxiousness, particularly when Steven Sims returned a punt for a landing and Jackson struggled with a blitzing protection.
However on the primary possession of the second half, Jackson guided a 55-yard drive in six performs and scored on a run up the center. Then a 15-yard landing move to Isaiah Possible early within the fourth made it 24-10.
Jackson’s ultimate landing got here on an 8-yard run with 6:20 to play, and the fired-up quarterback stored operating proper into the tunnel in that nook of the sector.
Sims’ return was the one landing for the Texans, whose offense by no means did attain the top zone in 120 minutes towards the Ravens this season. The Texans misplaced 25-9 in its season opener in Baltimore.
Jackson rushed for 821 yards through the season, which is an enormous a part of the case for his second MVP award. However he surpassed 100 yards on the bottom solely as soon as. He ran for 100 on Saturday on 11 makes an attempt. A 14-yard bootleg on fourth-and-1 close to midfield led to the Possible landing that gave the Ravens some respiration room.
Jackson additionally handed for 152 yards. He gained a playoff recreation for the second time in 5 begins.
Stroud threw for 175 yards and didn’t take a sack towards a tricky defensive entrance, however the Texans dropped to 0-5 within the divisional spherical of the playoffs. They’re the one present franchise that hasn’t reached a convention championship recreation.
The Ravens led the NFL in sacks, however it was Jackson who was below stress within the first half, when the Texans acquired to him thrice. Two of these sacks got here back-to-back within the ultimate minute of the second quarter after a missed area purpose gave the Ravens first rate area place.
Penalties held the Texans again all day — they ended up with 11 for 70 yards. After the Ravens’ Justin Tucker opened the scoring with a 53-yard area purpose, the Texans appeared headed for factors earlier than two false begins and an intentional grounding flag pushed them out of vary.
The Texans ultimately tied it on a 50-yard area purpose from Ka’imi Fairbairn, however the Ravens answered with a 76-yard march capped by Jackson’s 3-yard landing move to Nelson Agholor. Jackson scrambled for 23 yards on the primary play, and 15 yards on third-and-5 to place the ball on the Texans 2.
Down 10-3, the Texans struck again on particular groups. Sims, who was signed from the apply squad to the energetic roster earlier within the week, broke liberate the center for a 67-yard landing.
