The Ravens are rolling to the Divisional Round.
In a dominant performance, the Ravens topped the Steelers, 28-14, Saturday night at M&T Bank Stadium for a wild-card playoff win.
Baltimore controlled the game from the jump and took a 21-0 halftime lead. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry starred again as the Ravens played one of their best games in the season on the biggest stage yet.
Here's how it happened:
Turning Point
After slow starts in previous postseason games, Baltimore wasted no time against the Steelers.
The Ravens went 95 yards in 13 plays on their opening drive, capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Rashod Bateman on 3rd-and-13. It was the perfect start for the Ravens, and they didn't look back.
Top Play
Jackson sent an already electric Baltimore crowd into a frenzy to close the first half.
With 11 seconds remaining, Jackson bobbed and weaved in the pocket as Steelers defenders flew around him, and while running forward, Jackson floated a pass to Justice Hill in the flat, who ran it in for a touchdown.
Scoring Summary
| Scoring Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Quarter | Ravens: (4:45) Rashod Bateman 15-yard pass from Lamar Jackson | 7-0, Ravens |
| 2nd Quarter | Ravens: (4:09) Derrick Henry 8-yard run | 14-0, Ravens |
| Ravens: (:02) Lamar Jackson 5-yard pass to Justice Hill | 21-0, Ravens | |
| 3rd Quarter | Steelers: (8:05) Van Jefferson 30-yard pass from Russell Wilson | 21-7, Ravens |
| Ravens: (5:49) Derrick Henry 44-yard run | 28-7, Ravens | |
| Steelers: (3:24) George Pickens 36-yard pass from Russell Wilson | 28-14, Ravens |
Statistical Breakdown
Offensive Stats
| Ravens | Steelers | |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Leader | Lamar Jackson (16-of-21, 175 yards, 2 TDs) | Russell Wilson (20-of-29, 270 yards, 2 TDs) |
| Receiving Leader | Isaiah Likely (3 catches, 53 yards) | George Pickens (5 catches, 87 yards, 1 TD) |
| Rushing Leader | Derrick Henry (25 carries, 182 yards, 2 TDs) | Najee Harris (6 carries, 17 yards) |
Defensive Stats
| Ravens | Steelers | |
|---|---|---|
| Sacks | 4 | 1 |
| Turnovers Forced | 0 | 0 |
Team Stats
| Ravens | Steelers | |
|---|---|---|
| Time of Possession | 20:27 | 39:05 |
| Total Yards | 464 | 280 |
| Penalties | 3 for 14 yards | 7 for 41 yards |
| 3rd Down Efficiency | 10-for-15 | 5-for-11 |
| 1st Downs | 29 | 11 |
Stock Watch
QB Lamar Jackson
Jackson continued his MVP-level play into the playoffs. He got the Ravens off to a hot start and wasn't shy using his legs, running 14 times for 82 yards. Jackson was also sharp with his arm, going 16-of-21 for 175 yards and two touchdowns.
RB Derrick Henry
The Ravens got Henry for cold and physical games just like this, and he didn't disappoint, rushing for 186 yards and two touchdowns. He opened the game with nasty stiff-arm of Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and kept punishing Pittsburgh from there. He torched the entire Pittsburgh secondary with his 44-yard third quarter touchdown run.
DT Nnamdi Madubuike
The Steelers had momentum after back-to-back scoring drives, but Madubuike slammed the door on their comeback bid with a third-down sack of Russell Wilson. Madubuike wrecked that pivotal drive, batting a pass at the line two plays earlier.
Baltimore's Defense
The Baltimore defense continues to feast. The Ravens pitched a shutout in the first half, the first time since Super Bowl XXXV they have done that in the postseason. While the Steelers had some strong drives in the second half, the Ravens never let them within one possession and answered in big moments.
Up Next
The Ravens will face either the No. 4-seed Houston Texans or No. 2-seed Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. If the Bills beat the Denver Broncos, the Ravens will travel to Buffalo next weekend. If Denver wins, the Ravens will host the Texans. The Bills-Broncos game kicks off Sunday at 1 p.m.
Baltimore beat both teams handily in the regular season, topping the Bills by 25 in Week 4 and defeating the Texans in Houston on Christmas Day, 31-2.
