BALTIMORE – Earlier this season, as a sign of respect, Mike Tomlin referred to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson as “Mr. Jackson.”
With his team down 21-0 at halftime, the Pittsburgh Steelers was asked about containing the two-time MVP.
“It’s Lamar, man,” Tomlin told Amazon’s Kaylee Hartung at halftime.
That’s “Mr. Jackson” to you, Mr. Tomlin.
The Ravens steamrolled the Steelers 28-14 Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium in the AFC wild-card matchup between the two division rivals. The Ravens will have to wait until the conclusion of Sunday’s Denver Broncos-Buffalo Bills tilt to determine their divisional-round opponent, while the Steelers finished the season on a five-game losing streak in which they never held a lead.
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Baltimore’s defense sacked Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson four times, and Wilson finished 20-for-29 with 270 passing yards and two touchdowns in his fifth playoff loss in his last six postseason games dating back to his time with the Seattle Seahawks.
Derrick Henry scored two touchdowns and rushed for a postseason franchise-record 186 yards on 26 carries. Making his Ravens postseason debut, Henry tied Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis for most playoff games with more than 150 rushing yards (four). He set the tone on the first scoring drive by stiff-arming Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick on a 34-yard dash toward the end zone following a direct snap from the Wildcat formation.
Jackson, named an Associated Press first-team All-Pro Friday, showed why he could win his second straight MVP and third one overall, and his postseason record as a starter now stands at 3-4. The first “MVP!” chants from the crowd came with 4:45 left in the first quarter after he found Rashod Bateman in the back of the end zone for the game’s first touchdown on a third-and-13 from the Pittsburgh 15-yard line.
By end of the Ravens’ second touchdown drive, both Henry and Jackson had rushed 11 times, for 92 and 64 yards, respectively. The Ravens had 14 first downs before the Steelers picked up their second. Pittsburgh possessed the ball for 9:33 in the first half.
The Ravens went 90 yards in 1:51 at the end of the first half, as Jackson somehow evaded a sack, held the ball for 6.97 seconds and found running back Justice Hill for a walk-in touchdown with two seconds remaining on the clock. He finished the half 13-of-15 passing with 144 yards and two touchdowns.
Baltimore outgained the Steelers 308-59 in the first half.
For the Ravens, it was no Zay Flowers, no problem. Baltimore’s leading wide receiver was out with a knee injury, but with the way Henry ran over the Steelers and Jackson ran around them, the Ravens simply didn’t have to.
Wideout George Pickens (five catches, 87 yards) led the Steelers offensively but had a costly offensive pass interference penalty in the first half. His 36-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter made it 28-14.
