Baltimore, Md. (WGR 550) - The road to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas will, indeed, have to run through Baltimore for the AFC Championship Game next Sunday.
After enjoying a first round bye in the 2023 NFL Playoffs last week, the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens hosted the AFC South division champion Houston Texans in the opening game of the AFC Divisional Round on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium.
After the Texans managed to keep within striking distance of an upset at halftime in Baltimore, the Ravens were able to pull away in the second half thanks to a trio of Lamar Jackson touchdowns - one through the air and two on the ground - in a 34-10 win to secure home-field advantage for the right to play in the Super Bowl.
After the Ravens and Texans exchanged field goals in the opening quarter, the Ravens found themselves up 10-3 with Jackson finding veteran wideout Nelson Agholor from three yards out for the first of his four total touchdowns on the day.
With about four minutes left in the first half, the Texans evened the score thanks to a punt return touchdown from Steven Sims, who broke through a pile of bodies to go the distance from 67 yards out.
The Ravens had just four offensive possessions in the second half, but utilized all four chances and turned them into points to pull away from the Texans.
On the opening drive of the half, it only took Baltimore 2:56 of game clock to score thanks to a Jackson 15-yard touchdown run.
After forcing a punt and killing more than five minutes off the clock, the Ravens offense went on a drive that bled into the early stages of the fourth quarter and put the Texans in a really bad spot. It resulted in a 15-yard strike from Jackson to tight end Isaiah Likely to give Baltimore a 24-10 lead.
Following a three-and-out from the Texans on their next offensive possession, Jackson drove the dagger through the heart of Houston with his second rushing touchdown of the game, this time from eight yards out with just 6:20 to go in regulation.
Following a Texans turnover on downs just 1:13 later, the Ravens tacked on the final points of the game with a Justin Tucker field goal from 43 yards out to cap off the victory, and send Houston home following a great first season under the leadership of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans.
For the likely NFL MVP of the 2023 regular season, Jackson capped of his afternoon by completing 16-of-22 pass attempts for 152 yards and two scores. He also led the way on the ground for Baltimore with 100 yards on 11 carries and another two touchdowns.
Up next for the Ravens will be a matchup at home against the winner of the other AFC Divisional Round game on Sunday evening featuring Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs taking on Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, New York.
Kickoff at Highmark Stadium on Sunday is slated for 6:30 p.m. EST.
