Looking out of structure or even lost in their execution, the Baltimore Ravens offense sputtered for nearly three full quarters.
Then Lamar Jackson lost the Cincinnati Bengals defense in a weaving run of ridiculousness that kindled a comeback.
Jackson scrambled 20 yards back from the line of scrimmage before dancing in, out and around would-be Bengals tacklers along the sideline for one of the most spectacular 10-yard runs you will ever see.
On the ensuing play, Derrick Henry scored and the Ravens were on their way to scoring 20 straight points to key a thrilling 35-34 comeback win over the Bengals on Thursday night.
“Just trying to make something happen, that’s all that was,” Jackson said of the scramble that came with the Ravens trailing, 21-7, and ignited a Ravens rally. “I was going to try to throw the ball away but when I turned, I just had room so it was like, just get as much yards as I could. I should’ve scored.”
In a game overflowing with highlights and statistical splendor on both sides, Jackson completed 25 of 33 passes for 290 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions and a sterling 141.4 passer rating. He added 33 yards on seven carries. It was how he rebounded from a lackluster first half with an extraordinary second that was truly remarkable, though.
“I mean, what can you say? We have seen it before. I just think he took the game on his shoulders like he does,” Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh said. “But appreciate the other guys with him.”
The other guys with Jackson included the seldom-used Tylan Wallace, who followed Jackson’s tightrope scramble with a tightrope TD catch of 84 yards on the ensuing drive. Then it was Jackson’s longtime top target, Mark Andrews, who hauled in an 18-yard lob. After that, Jackson made a jumping alley-oop to Rashod Bateman for a 5-yard score with 1:49 to play that would stand as the game-winner after the Bengals’ came up short on go-ahead two-point attempt.
“It starts with Lamar and often times it ends with Lamar,” Harbaugh said. “But in between Lamar and Lamar, there’s a lot of great players out there that are surrounding him, and I think that’s kind of where our offense is at right now.”
Jackson came up clutch time and again in the second half after struggling through the first to the tune of just 71 yards passing.
Over the final two quarters, Jackson was a perfect 7 for 7 on third down, throwing all three of his second-half TDs for 133 yards in the process.
It was the second nail-biter of the season against the Bengals, and the second win for Jackson and the Ravens, who prevailed, 41-38, in overtime during Week 5.
In each game, Jackson piloted his squad to comeback triumphs despite double-digit deficits in the second half, throwing a quartet of TDs in both roller-coaster rides.
Statistically speaking, it was his counterpart Joe Burrow (428 yards, four touchdown passes) and Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase who offered the most jaw-dropping stats. But it was Jackson and Co. who prevailed once more.
“That’s an explosive offense,” Jackson said. “Burrow’s a great quarterback. Chase is a great receiver. Knew what type of game it would be and we came out on top, and that’s all the matters.”
Though it was the reigning AP NFL Most Valuable Player’s arm that keyed the majority of the Ravens’ offensive success, the comeback was borne from a Marlon Humphrey forced fumble and Jackson’s fleet feet.
Holding a healthy 21-7 advantage in the third quarter, the Bengals fumbled away possession when Chase Brown was stripped by Humphrey.
“I feel like when Marlon had forced that fumble,” Jackson said, “that kind of woke us up because I feel like we were sleeping throughout the whole first half.”
Four plays later on second-and-9 from the Cincinnati 11-yard line, Jackson dropped back -- way back.
Jackson, per Next Gen Stats, traveled 58.1 yards in total en route to a first down run to the Bengals’ 1-yard line. There were myriad massive plays ahead, but it was Jackson’s run of ridiculousness that got it all going.
“I was telling my guys on the sideline we got to score,” Jackson said. “If they score, we got to score, that’s the type of game it’s gonna be. We saw that from the first snap, but I’m proud of my guys because we finished one of these tough-type environmental games. We came through.”