Ravens reject kneel down, tie NFL rushing record thanks to John Harbaugh's call for Lamar Jackson
DENVER β Lamar Jackson won this one with his right arm. He used his quick feet to crown Baltimoreβs 23-7 thumping of the Denver Broncos and tie an NFL rushing record.
The Ravens (3-1) were in danger of coming up just short of matching the Steelersβ longstanding mark for consecutive games with at least 100 yards rushing before Baltimore cornerback Anthony Averett intercepted Broncos backup QB Drew Lock in the end zone with 3 seconds left.
Rather than take a knee, Jackson took the shotgun snap and hustled around left end for 5 yards as time expired. That gave the Ravens 102 yards on the ground, their 43rd consecutive 100-yard rushing game, tying the mark set by Pittsburgh from 1974-77.
βOh yeah, 100% my call,β Ravens coach John Harbaugh said unapologetically. βThatβs one of those things thatβs meaningful. As a head coach you have to be mindful of your team and your players and what it means to them. Itβs a very, very tough record to accomplish and itβs a long-term record.
βIβm not going to say itβs more important than winning the game, for sure, itβs certainly not,β Harbaugh added. βBut as a head coach you do that for your players and you do that for your coaches and itβs something theyβll have for the rest of their lives.β
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Harbaughβs players appreciated their coach letting them go for the record.
βWhenever youβre in the record books itβs important, so itβs great to get it, said receiver Marquis Brown, who caught Jacksonβs 49-yard TD pass one week after dropping a trio of long passes.
βI wasnβt thinking about the record,β Jackson said. βI was thinking about getting the win.β
Jackson missed two practices last week with a sore back, but it didnβt look as if it affected him at all Sunday.
βIβm feeling good,β he said. βDid I look good?β
Although he was held to 28 yards rushing, Jackson threw for 316 yards.
βWe wanted to limit his opportunities to carry it and scramble,β Broncos coach Vic Fangio said. βWe did that. But they were able to complete the long passes, which negated that.β
Only twice in his four-year NFL career has Jackson passed for more yards, once in the regular season (324) and once in the playoffs (365).
βI canβt believe people say he couldnβt throw. Itβs wild, barbaric,β suggested Ravens receiver James Proche II. βThatβs like saying water is dry. Heβs just doing his job, nothing crazy, just doing what he do.β
Justin Tucker, who beat the Lions last week with an NFL-record long 66-yard field goal, was perfect from 40, 46 and 20 yards in Denverβs thin air.
The Broncos (3-1) punted on 10 of their 12 possessions after punting just nine times total in their three wins. They lost starting QB Teddy Bridgewater to a concussion on his final pass of the first half.
Ravens rookie linebacker Odafe Oweh hit Bridgewater under the chin but wasnβt flagged.
Neither was cornerback Tavon Young whistled one play earlier for hitting a defenseless receiver when his brutal hit sent WR/KR Diontae Spencer from the game with an injury to his sternum.
The injuries occurred during a series of curious calls by Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, who had Bridgewater throw three times after Denver got the ball at its 17 with 1:02 left in the first half and Denver down 14-7.
All three throws fell incomplete β Bridgewater completed just 7 of 16 passes after posting 75% days in each of Denverβs three wins β and the Broncos punted the ball back to Baltimore with Tucker warming up on the sideline.
Devin Duvernayβs 42-yard return set up Tucker for an easy 40-yarder as the first half expired, giving the Ravens a 17-7 halftime lead.
One play after bouncing a short pass to Sammy Watkins, Jackson wound up and hit Brown with the 49-yard touchdown pass that put Baltimore ahead for good 14-7 in the second quarter.
Noah Fant caught a 3-yard TD pass from Bridgewater to put Denver on the board and the Ravens responded with a long drive capped by Latavius Murrayβs 11-yard touchdown romp that tied it at 7.
ROOKIEβS ROMP
Fantβs TD was set up by rookie Javonte Williamsβ 31-yard run in which he broke five tackles before cornerback Marlon Humphrey finally knocked him down. Williams led the nation in broken tackles last year at North Carolina.
SACK MASTERS
The Ravens had five sacks and middle linebacker Tyus Bowser sacked both Bridgewater and Lock. Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad had two of Denverβs three sacks. Von Miller, the AFCβs Defensive Player of the Month in September, shared the other sack with McTelvin Agim.
Miller noted the difficulty of facing Jackson and his big-play passing abilities combined with the Ravensβ exotic run packages.
βItβd be refreshing just to play normal football again,β Miller said.