Baltimore — Baltimore’s division win over Cleveland was as routine as expected.
Except for one second quarter play that could have been a huge problem for the Ravens’ dynamic offense.
Jay Flowers, the team’s top receiver, went down with a knee injury and did not return for Saturday’s game. Coach John Harbaugh seemed a bit optimistic afterward, but said there would be an MRI.
Baltimore finished the regular season 12-5 despite dropping its first two games. It’s only one game worse than the record that gave the Ravens the league’s best record in 2023, but there will be no first-round bye this time around. Baltimore becomes the third seed in the AFC playoffs.
So the flower doesn’t have much time to recover. The Pro Bowl receiver caught 74 passes for 1,059 yards and four touchdowns during the regular season.
Baltimore trails Pittsburgh by two games atop the AFC North with four games remaining. The Ravens then went on to go 4-0 and the Steelers went 0-4 the rest of the way.
“This is a week-by-week league. You just have to take it one play at a time, one week at a time, one day at a time. Our guys have done a really great job of holding on to that.” Harbaugh said. “The 1-0 t-shirts we all wear are real, so four wins and we’re AFC North champions.”
You might think that Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry wouldn’t have enough plays, enough space on the football, or enough yards on the field to put up these numbers, but here are their final totals for the regular season: As for Jackson: He had 4,172 yards passing and 915 rushing. For Henry: 1,921 yards rushing.
The Ravens became the first team in NFL history to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 3,000 yards in a season. Obviously the regular season is a little longer than it used to be. But Jackson and Henry both seem to have made each other better and have taken the offense to another level.
“We won four in a row. “Everyone did a great job of preparing for the offense and it was fun,” Henry said. “We have to continue to stay locked in and hold each other accountable. We’re keeping the same momentum going in the playoffs,” he said.
If Flowers is limited, the wide receiver group can become thin. Rashod Bateman played well against Cleveland, as did the tight end tandem of Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, but receiver Tylan Wallace played 51 offensive snaps and finished with one target and no catches.
Michael Pierce’s first career interception was a late highlight of the game, which also highlighted how healthy he is after returning from injured reserve for four games.
Pierce, who weighs 355 pounds, had some running room on the interception, but was about 80 yards from the end zone and gave himself up on a slide.
“There has been a long history of turning gibberish and gibberish into memes, so at the risk of turning into one of those myself, I decided it was time to go home,” he said. “Besides, it was nice that we ran out of gas.”
Defenseman Brandon Stephens has been targeted by the Browns and can expect teammates Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins to receive similar treatment in the playoffs after making big defensive plays.
Bateman and safety Kyle Hamilton were both shaken but returned to the field, so Flowers is the Ravens’ only significant injury issue coming out of the game.
Baltimore’s final two games of the regular season were its best in terms of total yards allowed. The Ravens allowed just 211 points in a 31-2 win at Houston and 230 against the Browns.
Baltimore’s first-round playoff opponent depended on the outcome of Sunday’s Chargers-Raiders game. The Ravens host either the Chargers or Steelers.
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