Ravens ride Lamar Jackson heroics, wild walk-off punt return past Rams to keep pace for AFC's No. 1 seed
Jackson threw for 316 yards and 3 TDs and added 70 rushing yards
What a win for Baltimore.
The Ravens rallied past the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday thanks to Lamar Jackson's heroics and a walk-off punt return for a touchdown in overtime to keep pace for the AFC's No. 1 playoff seed. After Jackson helped send the game to the extra session with a late touchdown drive, Tylan Wallace sealed the 37-31 victory with a 76-yard punt return for a TD.
Wallace eluded several would-be Rams tacklers then broke free down the left sideline for the winning score.
With the win, the Ravens improved to 10-3 and have the most wins in the AFC. The Miami Dolphins will look to keep pace Monday night against the Tennessee Titans.
The walk-off touchdown ensured that a stellar day for Jackson didn't go to waste. The Ravens quarterback threw for three touchdowns, including a go-ahead score late in regulation that helped send the game to overtime. Facing third-and-17 from the Rams' 21-yard line with 1:41 remaining, Jackson dropped deep on a shotgun snap, then threw a touchdown dart to Zay Flowers at the goal line.
The score and ensuing 2-point conversion gave the Ravens a 31-28 lead with 1:16 remaining. The Rams responded with a field-goal drive to force overtime before Wallace's punt return sent the home Ravens crowd into a frenzy. The loss snapped a three-game win streak for the Rams, who had a chance to assert themselves in the NFC playoff race. Instead they fell to 6-7 and are on the outside looking in at the postseason picture.
Back-and-forth thriller in Baltimore
The game was tight throughout. The Rams opened scoring with a field goal in the first quarter before the teams swapped the lead four times on four consecutive possessions. The game saw seven lead changes in total and two ties. Baltimore's final six-point margin was tied for the largest lead of the game for either team.
The Ravens rode Jackson's arm to keep pace early. He found tight end Isaiah Likely for a 54-yard touchdown to give Baltimore a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter.
He then connected with Odell Beckham Jr. on a 46-yard touchdown bomb early in the second. That score gave Baltimore a 14-10 lead.
The Rams took a 20-17 lead into halftime, then retook a 22-20 lead in the third quarter when Jackson had to kick a bad shotgun snap out of the back of the end zone for a Rams safety.
Matthew Stafford's touchdown to Demarcus Robinson then put Los Angeles in control with a 28-23 lead in the final minutes of regulation.
But Jackson's touchdown pass to Flowers in response set up Wallace for his overtime heroics.
Jackson finished the day completing 24 of 43 passes for 316 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. He added 70 yards on the ground in an effort that will boost his case in a wide-open MVP race.
The win was critical as Baltimore faces a gantlet in the final four weeks of the regular season with games against the AFC-South leading Jacksonville Jaguars, NFC West-leading San Francisco 49ers and AFC East-leading Dolphins before wrapping their season at home against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
