Holy sh*t (see what I did there?), what a game. Monday Night Football between the Ravens and Browns didn’t disappoint with many declaring it the game of the year. The AFC North rivals absolutely obliterated the over (set at a conservative 46), combining for 89 points in a chaotic 47-42 slugfest at Cleveland’s FirstEnergy Stadium.
Lamar Jackson was right in the thick of things for Baltimore, leading the Ravens to a season sweep of Cleveland by completing 11-of-17 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown while scrambling for an additional 124 yards and two rushing scores. One of the game’s more compelling subplots—and there were plenty to choose from—was Jackson’s mysterious absence during the fourth quarter. The reigning league MVP left backup Trace McSorley to man the offense with the Ravens attributing his departure to cramps.
That seems plausible enough—cramping is a pretty frequent occurrence in football—though the keyboard community wasn’t buying it with many taking to social media to voice their apparent skepticism. ESPN fueled the debate further by sharing footage of Jackson making a beeline to the visitor’s locker room, with the former Heisman winner looking very much like a man who needed to go No. 2. The lasting image of Jackson seemingly rushing to the toilet invoked memories of Paul Pierce during the 2008 NBA Finals, when the Celtics great left the court under similarly suspicious circumstances.
Predictably, Twitter had a field day with Jackson’s bizarre exit, flooding the timeline with memes and scatological references.
Just when you thought the wildest game of 2020 couldn’t get any crazier, more anarchy ensued when McSorley suffered a grim-looking knee injury, potentially leaving the Ravens without a QB. Robert Griffin III was inactive for Monday night’s game, the result of a thigh injury suffered in a loss to Pittsburgh earlier this month. Like a bat out of Hell, Jackson grabbed his helmet and returned to the Ravens’ huddle, reviving Baltimore (who had just blown a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead) by slinging a miraculous 44-yard touchdown to deep threat Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.
Having one of the sport’s premier talents leave to address a sudden digestive “emergency” during the climax of an all-important divisional game is internet gold, but alas, Jackson is sticking to his story that cramping—not an impromptu bathroom visit—was the culprit.
Suuuuure, Lamar. Whatever you say. Also of note, Monday marked the 1,061st unique final score in NFL history. Those familiar with Jon Bois’ work at SB Nation would recognize that as a Scorigami, of which there have been seven this year.
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