BALTIMORE Derrick Henry scored twice while spearheading Baltimore’s destructive running attack, Lamar Jackson threw for two touchdowns in a fantastic first half, and the Ravens defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 28–14 on Saturday night to move on to the AFC playoffs’ second round.
The Ravens, who jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead and held on against their AFC North opponents, advance to play either Buffalo or Houston. When the Ravens scored touchdown drives of 95, 85, and 90 yards in the first half, Baltimore held a 19-2 lead in first downs.
The Steelers were outrun 299-29 by Baltimore, while Henry ran for 186 yards. It broke the Oakland Raiders’ record of 232 yards rushing set 51 years earlier and was the most yards Pittsburgh had ever given up in a postseason game.
Jackson made it obvious right on that he was going to force Pittsburgh (10-8) to defend his arm and his legs. The two-time MVP is still looking for a postseason breakout. The Ravens (13-5) were pleased to move the ball methodically against a Steelers club that has mainly relied on forcing turnovers this season because he kept the chains moving.
With five straight losses, including two in Baltimore, Pittsburgh’s season comes to an end. The Steelers, who have dropped six straight postseason games, had a familiar finish. They have lost on the road in games that have highlighted the distance between Pittsburgh and the conference’s real contenders over their last three postseason appearances.
During the regular season, the Ravens had the most touchdown drives of at least 90 yards by any club since at least 2000. They drove 13 plays for a score after starting at their own 5 on their first possession.
The Steelers have a recent trend of taking advantage of Baltimore’s blunders to win close games versus the Ravens. By taking few significant chances on Saturday, the Ravens were able to sidestep that issue.
On the opening drive, they did show some ingenuity by setting up Henry for a straight snap from center as Jackson moved over and pretended to sweep. Henry gained 34 yards while holding onto the ball. With Zay Flowers (knee) out, Jackson’s 15-yard scoring pass to Rashod Bateman, Baltimore’s top healthy receiver, completed the possession.
Jackson rushed for 81 yards and went 16 of 21 for 175 yards.
With 4:09 remaining in the half, Henry scored an 8-yard run to make it 14-0. The Steelers called a timeout on third and two from the Baltimore 18 after a Pittsburgh punt in an attempt to recover the ball, but the Ravens converted and then swiftly moved into position to score.
With 11 seconds remaining on second down from the Pittsburgh 5, Jackson almost wasted the remaining time scurrying around, but with two seconds remaining, he dropped the ball off to an open Justice Hill, who entered the end zone.
On their opening possession of the second half, the Steelers went 98 yards for a touchdown, and Russell Wilson found Van Jefferson with a 30-yard pass. When Henry broke loose up the middle for a 44-yard touchdown, Baltimore responded right away. Jackson handed the ball off and then faked a run to the left, catching the Pittsburgh defenders out of position.
In the third, Wilson responded with a 36-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens, but that was the end of the scoring. On a night when no team turned the ball over, Wilson went 20 of 29 for 270 yards.
INJURIES
Dan Moore Jr., a Pittsburgh T, suffered an ankle injury.
UPCOMING
If the Ravens want to host a game the following weekend, Denver must defeat Buffalo on Sunday. Houston would visit Baltimore in such case. If not, Jackson and Josh Allen, another MVP contender, would face off in Buffalo for Baltimore.
A once-promising season ended with a bang, but Wilson and coach Mike Tomlin managed to send the Steelers to the playoffs, and now they face the offseason.
— AP Sports Writer Noah Trister
