CLEVELAND — Lamar Jackson threw three touchdown passes – two to tight end Mark Andrews late in the first half – and rushed for 103 yards as the Ravens won their 11th straight game, 31-15 over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday to lock up the conference’s top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Ravens (13-2) shook off a sluggish start and avenged their last loss, 40-25 to the Browns on Sept. 29.
But Baltimore looks nothing like the team it was three months ago as the marvelous, multidimensional Jackson has taken the league by storm with his arm and legs. Jackson finished with 238 yards passing and went over 100 yards rushing for the fifth time this season.
The Ravens did suffer an injury that could hurt the playoff hopes as running back Mark Ingram went down without being touched in the fourth quarter.
Ingram immediately grabbed his lower left leg and collapsed when he tried to stand. Ingram, who went over 1,000 yards rushing in the second quarter and caught a 12-yard TD pass from Jackson in the third, was able to walk to the sideline to be evaluated before limping to the locker room.
The Browns (6-9) were officially eliminated from the postseason.
SAINTS 38, TITANS 28: Drew Brees threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns and Alvin Kamara ran for two TDs as visiting New Orleans (12-3) topped Tennessee (8-7).
The Saints scored 24 straight points in the win.
Pro Bowl wide receiver Michael Thomas also set the NFL record for most catches in a season. The Saints’ receiver needed 10 to tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison’s mark of 143 catches in 2002. Thomas finished with 12 catches for 136 yards, his last reception a 2-yard TD with 2:10 left for a 38-28 lead.
JETS 16, STEELERS 10: Le’Veon Bell helped deal his former team’s playoff hopes a big blow.
The Steelers (8-7) entered the game controlling their postseason chances and would have clinched a berth with wins in their final two games, but now need some help. Pittsburgh now needs to win next week at Baltimore to stay in the mix.
The Steelers also have more injury concerns as running back James Conner, center Maurkice Pouncey and quarterback Mason Rudolph all left with injuries.
Bell ran for 72 yards, including 7 on a big third-down play in the fourth quarter, on 25 carries while facing the team with which he spent his first six NFL seasons. After sitting out all last season in a contract dispute, Bell signed with the Jets (6-9) in the offseason.
DOLPHINS 38, BENGALS 35: Miami (4-11) gave up 16 points in the final 29 seconds of regulation but regrouped, and Jason Sanders kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired to beat visiting Cincinnati (1-14).
Andy Dalton threw for 396 yards and four touchdown passes, including three in the final 5:01 of regulation for Cincinnati, which clinched the top pick in next years’ draft.
FALCONS 24, JAGUARS 12: Devonta Freeman scored two touchdowns as Atlanta (6-9) topped visiting Jacksonville (5-10).
Matt Ryan threw for 384 yards and Julio Jones had his biggest game of the year, hauling in 10 catches for 166 yards.
COLTS 38, PANTHERS 6: Nyheim Hines scored on two punt returns, set up another touchdown with a 40-yard return four plays into the game and provided the jolt of energy as host Indianapolis (7-8) topped Carolina (5-10) to snap a four-game losing streak.
Carolina has lost seven straight.
GIANTS 41, WASHINGTON 35: Daniel Jones threw for 352 yards and five touchdown passes as visiting New York (4-11) topped Washington (3-12) in overtime.
Jones was 28 of 42 in his first action since missing the past two games with a sprained right ankle. He tossed two TDs to Kaden Smith – including the winner – and also connected with Sterling Shepard, Saquon Barkley and Cody Latimer. His career-best fifth TD pass, 3 yards to Smith, came with 4:15 left in overtime after Washington tied it in the final minute of regulation on a 99-yard drive.
Barkley was the perfect complement for Jones and tormented a Redskins secondary missing several regulars. He was responsible for 279 total yards: 189 rushing and 90 receiving and a score each way.
CARDINALS 27, SEAHAWKS 13: Kenyan Drake rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns, Larry Fitzgerald added a 21-yard TD reception, and visiting Arizona (5-9-1) stymied Russell Wilson and injury-depleted Seattle (11-4).
Seattle faced the Cardinals without four key starters: left tackle Duane Brown, safety Quandre Diggs, cornerback Shaquill Griffin and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. The Seahawks’ depth was thinned further when starting running back Chris Carson went down with a hip injury early in the second quarter and backup C.J. Prosise suffered an arm injury only a few minutes later.
EAGLES 17, COWBOYS 9: Cornerback Sidney Jones broke up Dak Prescott’s fourth-down pass to wide receiver Michael Gallup in the end zone with 1:15 left in the game, and Philadelphia (8-7) held off visiting Dallas (7-8) to take over first place in the NFC East.
The Eagles need to win their final game next week against the Giants to clinch the East. The Cowboys can still win the East with a win next week against Washington and an Eagles loss to the Giants.
RAIDERS 24, CHARGERS 17: Derek Carr threw for 291 yards and a touchdown as Oakland (7-8) beat host Los Angeles (5-10).
BRONCOS 27, LIONS 17: Drew Lock threw a shovel pass to DaeSean Hamilton to put Denver ahead and Phillip Lindsay sealed the game with a late TD scamper as host Denver (6-9) beat Detroit (3-11-1), which has lost eight straight.
Copy the Story LinkComments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
