In a perfect world, the Baltimore Ravens would have looked great and gone into the playoffs with an AFC North title and a lot of momentum. Instead, they were just good enough.
The Cleveland Browns had plenty of injuries and no chance on Saturday, and the Ravens in some ways played down to their level even though they won 35-10 to clinch the AFC North championship. The Ravens also saw Pro Bowl receiver Zay Flowers leave the game with a knee injury.
Jackson wasn’t bad, but he had the chance to make a huge final statement in the MVP race, and it’s hard to say he did that. Jackson did become the first player in NFL history to post 4,000 passing yards and 800 rushing yards in a season. He also became the first quarterback ever with 40 or more passing touchdowns and fewer than five interceptions in a season. Jackson threw two touchdowns against the Browns, but completed only half of his passes for 217 yards in a good but not great outing. If you preferred Josh Allen before Saturday, Jackson’s performance probably didn’t change your mind.
But ultimately the biggest thing Saturday was not somehow getting upset by the Browns, and that was never in doubt.
The Ravens were set to win the division in Week 18 with a win over the undermanned Browns or a loss by the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Cincinnati Bengals in the late game. There was never much suspense about the Ravens beating a Browns team that was 3-13 coming in and played Bailey Zappe and Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback. The Ravens will be the No. 3 seed in the AFC and next week face the No. 6 seed, which was set to be either the Steelers or Los Angeles Chargers.
It was probably the closing argument in the MVP race. The Buffalo Bills have already said Josh Allen will play very briefly, to keep his consecutive starts streak alive, which means he won’t be adding much to his resume. Saquon Barkley and Joe Burrow are far behind in the race. That likely means all of the evidence has been presented. Now it’s on the voters to pick between two quality options.
Jackson and the Ravens would probably prefer a long playoff run over a third MVP, and winning the division was a big step toward that.
Ravens have a comfortable lead
The Browns did their best, which wasn’t much given their limitations. They got two fourth-down stops inside their own territory in the first half. They did a good job against Derrick Henry, holding him to 8 yards on six carries in the first half. Jackson had a nice touchdown pass to Mark Andrews but not too much else, though it’s Jackson and he still had a few highlights.
But it was still 14-3 at the half because the Browns weren’t capable of making it interesting.
The Ravens got a gift in the first quarter. Zappe threw a pick six right to Ravens rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins.
Given how injured and poor the Browns were heading into the game, that 7-0 lead was a sign that the Ravens wouldn’t have to sweat clinching the division on Saturday. By the time it got to 14-0, there was practically no chance of an upset. The Browns did score in the fourth quarter, snapping a streak of 24 straight possessions without a touchdown, and that probably annoyed Baltimore because it forced the Ravens to keep their starters in the game, leading 21-10. Henry scored a couple of touchdowns in the final seven minutes to make it a blowout.
The NFL is at the mercy of the luck of the draw when it comes to scheduling in Week 18. Some seasons they have more than a few matchups that are compelling and have playoff implications. The NFL didn’t have many options this season. That’s how we ended up with the Browns, the largest underdog of the season at 20 points, on an island game on Saturday.
Baltimore cruises in clincher
The Ravens were good enough on Saturday. Seeing Flowers holding his knee in pain and leaving the game in the first quarter was the worst news of the day. Flowers had more than 1,000 yards and is Jackson’s top wideout.
The Ravens still have other options. Henry got going in the second half against the Browns, finishing with 138 yards. Mark Andrews caught yet another touchdown, his 11th on the season. Rashod Bateman continued his breakout season with his ninth touchdown. While Baltimore’s defense wasn’t facing a competent quarterback, it continued a late-season surge by rarely allowing Cleveland to move the ball.
The Ravens have rounded into form as a threat to win a Super Bowl. Whether Jackson wins the MVP or not, he continues to be one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in NFL history. Henry will help him in the playoffs. The defense has had a startling improvement since some early-season struggles.
Baltimore’s win on Saturday wasn’t its best performance. But it didn’t need to be great to win. The Ravens better be great the next few weeks. They’re capable of it.
