If the Baltimore Ravens are going to capture their first Super Bowl since 2012, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry will likely have everything to do with it.
Glimmers of the Lombardi Trophy are still far down the road, but the offensive duo, at least through round one, has more than held up their end of the bargain.
The Ravens bested the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-14 in their AFC wild-card battle on Saturday night in Baltimore on the back of their two heaviest hitters, Jackson and Henry combining for 267 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
The tandem set the tone early — scoring touchdowns on three of their four first half drives — and entered the locker room with a 21-0 lead.
And though the Steelers hit pay dirt twice in the second half, head coach Mike Tomlin and company could find no answers to the Ravens’ merciless ground game. Baltimore ran the score up, the game clock down and punched a ticket to the divisional round for the second consecutive year.
The game-plan was made evident from drive number one — a methodical 13 play, 95-yard undertaking capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rashod Bateman.
The biggest play of the drive had come several snaps earlier when Henry took a direct snap and busted his way to the Steelers’ 12-yard-line, a gain of 34.
The Ravens’ second drive of the game lasted just six plays, but Baltimore wouldn’t be held down for long — bouncing back on third and fourth drives that looked largely similar to their first.
Henry scored the Ravens’ second touchdown — an 8-yard run at the end of a 13 play, 85-yard drive — and Jackson hooked up with running back Justice Hill on drive number four for the third touchdown of the evening.
That latter drive — nine plays, 90 yards — took only 1:51.
Through the game’s first two quarters, Jackson had completed 13-of-15 passes for 144 yards. Baltimore’s domination was all encompassing, the Steelers had mustered just 59 total yards in the half compared to the Ravens’ 308.
And the second half offered more of the same.
Pittsburgh brought the game within 14 points by reaching the end zone on their first drive of the third quarter before Henry all but iced the contest — breaking free on a 44-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 21.
The star back finished the evening with 26 carries for 186 yards and two scores.
Jackson’s final stat-line was even more impressive: 16-for-21 through the air for 175 yards (plus 81 more on the ground), two passing touchdowns and a passer rating of 132.0.
The Ravens’ 299 rushing yards was the most Pittsburgh had ever allowed in a playoff game.
Baltimore will face either the Buffalo Bills or Houston Texans, fresh off an upset win over the Los Angeles Chargers, in the divisional round next.