2024-01-21 02:07:04
The Baltimore Ravens are in the AFC championship game. Led by an outstanding Lamar Jackson, the favorites got serious once morest the Houston Texans following halftime and clearly won 34:10.
Off to the end zone: Lamar Jackson recorded two rushing touchdowns once morest the Texans. IMAGO/USA TODAY Network
The outsider, who had surprisingly prevailed once morest the Cleveland Browns in the wildcard round, held up well in Baltimore for two quarters. With a punt return touchdown over 67 yards, Steven Sims made the score 10:10 at halftime. Was another fall of the favorites on the horizon? Four years ago, the Ravens had already stumbled at the first hurdle, then the Tennessee Titans.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was often under pressure before halftime and had a hard time dealing with the Texans defense’s blitzes. After the break, he put his team on the road to victory with a 15-yard run into the end zone. On the way to Nelson Agholor’s first Ravens touchdown, Jackson had his hands in his hands twice in the second quarter and ran for 23 and 15 yards.
Stroud and his offense fail to score a touchdown
The Texans offense around “Offensive Rookie of the Year” candidate CJ Stroud (19/33, 175 yards) never really got going once morest the impressive Ravens defense. Also because penalties (a total of eleven for 70 yards) kept throwing the guests back. In this divisional playoff, the Texans offense failed to score a touchdown.
This was not the case for Jackson, who threw his second touchdown pass (this time to tight end Isaiah Likely) at the beginning of the final quarter and then ran with the ball into the end zone for the second time. In total, the MVP favorite had exactly 100 rushing yards and threw for another 152.
In the AFC Championship Game next Sunday (9 p.m.), the Ravens will face the winner of the duel between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Texans remain the only current NFL franchise that has never appeared in a conference championship game. The future still looks very good for head coach DeMeco Ryans’ young team following a surprisingly strong season.
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#NFL #Playoffs #Baltimore #Ravens #schlagen #Houston #Texans
