AFC stock reports: Baltimore Ravens show no sign of slowing down

Lamar Jackson continues winning in games and towards MVP

Week 11 was the first time since 2016 that Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson had faced each other. While Watson and the Clemson Tigers came away with the victory in 2016, Jackson got more than a revenge game as Baltimore dominated the Houston Texans 41-7 on Sunday.

Another week, another play to make the highlight tape for the 2019 season. Lamar Jackson once again broke off an incredible run in which he made defenders of the Houston Texans look like Pop Warner. While he wasn’t able to get into the end zone on his remarkable run, he broke 6 tackles to pick up 39 yards.

Even against the Houston Texans, who are one of the leagues better run defenses, Baltimore was able to rush for 263 rushing yards and a touchdown. Jackson ran the ball nine times for 86 yards while backup running back Gus Edwards carried the ball eight times for 112 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown.

At the beginning of the game, Jackson looked rusty after missing on 5 of his first 6 passing attempts. That quickly changed as he completed his next 13 passes and finished the day completing 17 of 24 attempts for 222 yards and 4 touchdowns. While Jackson has been electrifying in his second season, he doesn’t take all of the credit. Head coach John Harbaugh and the coaching staff spent the entire offseason tailoring the offense around their new franchise quarterback. When analysts talk about quarterbacks going to the right situation when entering the league, Jackson and the Ravens are a prime example.

Baltimore is 10-0 when Jackson runs the ball for 70 or more yards in a game. Following the loss to the Chiefs and division rival Cleveland Browns early in the season, the Ravens have dominated winning six consecutive contests. In those six games, Jackson has put up significant victories against Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, and Watson.

Defensive struggles were a storyline during the first quarter of the season following key losses to free agency. Baltimore added free safety Earl Thomas, but the defense still struggled to be dominant. Before the trade deadline, Baltimore elected to trade a 2020 fifth-round pick and reserve linebacker Kenny Young for former Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters. The addition of Peters has helped get the Ravens defense back on track as the team has had two or more takeaways in each of the last four games.

Jackson and Watson exchanged jerseys following the game. In a post-game interview, Jackson praised Watson for what he’s been able to do since entering the NFL. “He’s a great quarterback. He transitioned to the NFL and did the same thing (as he did in college). You can’t take nothing from him. He’s a great guy.”

Unfortunately, this game wasn’t what most fans were hoping to experience. The game that looked to be electrifying between two MVP candidates was a major letdown. Jackson and the Ravens were able to get out of their first-quarter slump, unlike the Texans. Between the offensive line allowing their quarterback to be under consistent pressure and Watson having arguably one of his worst performances since entering the NFL, fans outside of these two teams were highly disappointed.