BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Baltimore RB Derrick Henry rushed for 186 yards and two scores and teammate Lamar Jackson passed for two touchdowns to lead the host Ravens to a 28-14 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC wild-card game on Saturday night.

Jackson completed 16 of 21 passes for 175 yards and rushed for 82 yards on 15 carries while winning for the third time in seven attempts as a postseason starter. Rashod Bateman and Justice Hill had touchdown receptions for third-seeded Baltimore, which has won five straight games and will learn its next opponent on Sunday.

Henry, who carried 26 times, rushed for more than 150 yards for the fourth time in eight career playoff appearances. His postseason high of 195 came against the Ravens in the 2019 season divisional round when he was a member of the Tennessee Titans.

Russell Wilson was 20 of 29 for 270 yards and two touchdowns for sixth-seeded Pittsburgh, which trailed by 21 points twice while losing its fifth consecutive game. George Pickens had five catches for 87 yards and a touchdown and Van Jefferson also had a scoring reception for the Steelers.

The Ravens totaled 299 rushing yards and outgained Pittsburgh 464-280. Baltimore also had a 29-11 advantage in first downs.

The Steelers had just 29 yards on the ground with a long gain of five.

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HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson set an NFL record, RB Derrick Henry achieved a single-season franchise mark and the visiting Ravens moved into first place in the AFC North with a 31-2 rout of the Houston Texans on Wednesday.

Jackson rushed for 87 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, to give him 6,110 rushing yards for his career. That’s one more than Michael Vick, making Jackson the all-time leader in career rushing yards by a quarterback. Henry rushed for 147 yards and a score on 27 carries, giving him 16 touchdowns for the year, the most for a single season in team history.

His performance helped Baltimore (11-5) take a one-game lead on Pittsburgh with one week left in the season. The Ravens can clinch the AFC North title next week with a home win over Cleveland.

Jackson completed 10 of 15 passes for 168 yards with two touchdowns and another 87 yards on the ground with the score as Baltimore earned a 432-211 advantage in total yardage. The Ravens collected five sacks and came up with a goal-line stand in the second quarter with the game still up for grabs.

C.J. Stroud hit 17 of 31 attempts for 185 yards with an interception for Houston (9-7), which lost its second straight game and is now locked into the No. 4 spot for the AFC playoffs.

Henry initiated the scoring at the 10:08 mark of the first quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run, capping a 75-yard drive. Baltimore made it 10-0 the next time it touched the ball as Justin Tucker drilled a 52-yard field goal with 2:47 to go in the first.

The Texans got their only points with 10:09 left in the first half when Kamari Lassiter tackled Henry in the end zone for a 4-yard loss and a safety. Houston had a chance to score a touchdown on the ensuing possession but Joe Mixon was stopped at the 1 on a fourth-and-goal pass.

Baltimore sailed 99 yards down the field on its next possession, with Jackson throwing a 9-yard strike to Isaiah Likely with 1:51 remaining for a 17-2 halftime lead.

The Ravens made it a rout in the third quarter on Jackson’s long scoring run and his 1-yard touchdown pass to Mark Andrews at the 5:50 mark.

–Field Level Media

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INGLEWOOD – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson accounted for three touchdowns and his teammate Derrick Henry rushed for 140 yards on 24 carries to help the Baltimore Ravens record a 30-23 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night in the “Harbaugh Bowl” in California.Calif.

Justice Hill added a long scoring run and Rashod Bateman caught a touchdown pass to help Baltimore coach John Harbaugh improve to 3-0 against younger brother Jim, the coach of the Chargers.

Jackson completed 16 of 22 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for a touchdown for Baltimore (8-4), which won for the eighth time in 10 games. Mark Andrews caught a touchdown pass and converted a stunning fourth-down gamble for the Ravens.

Justin Herbert was 21 of 36 for 218 yards and rushed for a score for the Chargers (7-4), who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Cameron Dicker kicked three field goals for Los Angeles.

John and Jim Harbaugh exchanged a quick handshake and hug after the contest.

The big meeting between the brothers was Baltimore’s 34-31 win over Jim’s San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl following the 2012 regular season. The other meeting was on Thanksgiving Day in 2011 when the host Ravens won a 16-6 decision.

Baltimore star linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) sat out the Monday contest.

Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (knee), a former Baltimore player, exited in the first half. He gained 40 yards on six carries and had three catches for 19 yards.

The Ravens took a 23-16 lead when Jackson hit Andrews on an 8-yard touchdown pass with 12:32 left in the game. The two-point conversion pass failed.

Baltimore added on when Hill exploded for a 51-yard scoring run to make it a 14-point margin with 7:24 remaining.

Gus Edwards ran in from the 1 for the Chargers with 46 seconds left, and the Ravens recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal it.

Baltimore overcame a 10-point second-quarter deficit to lead 14-13 at halftime.

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BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Buffalo is one of five 3-0 teams in the NFL, while the Baltimore Ravens are hungry to prove they are still on par with teams like the Bills in the AFC.

When the teams meet on Sunday night in Maryland, the Ravens will have at least one thing going for them: They are hosting their second annual “Darkness Falls” game, a college-style stadium blackout that has Lamar Jackson pumped.

“Hearing the ‘Flock,’ just seeing all black throughout the crowd, it’s like you can’t escape,” the quarterback said with a grin. “It’s something about it, man, I can’t really describe it. Like the dark side.”

The Ravens (1-2) didn’t need home cooking to defeat the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, though they let a 22-point lead dwindle in the fourth quarter before winning 28-25. Baltimore has been outscored 32-7 in the fourth quarter of its past two games.

Derrick Henry racked up 151 of the Ravens’ 274 rushing yards vs. the Cowboys and scored the third and fourth touchdowns of his debut season in Baltimore. Jackson ran for 87 yards and a score, and Justice Hill added 33 yards on five carries.

“They are kind of a good 1-2 punch,” coach John Harbaugh said of Henry and Hill. “They play off each other really well. They run the same plays, too, but they also run different plays at times. I just think it’s a good change of pace for the defense.”

The Ravens continue to tweak their defense, adding pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue to their practice squad earlier this week. Ngakoue has totaled 69 career sacks for six teams, including nine games for Baltimore in 2020. Baltimore’s Kyle Van Noy is tied for third in the league with four sacks.

As for the Bills, there has been little to nitpick this year.

After creaming the Jacksonville Jaguars 47-10 on Monday night, the Bills have a plus-64 scoring differential, tops in the league. Their turnover differential is plus-5 — only Green Bay’s is better — and they rank in the top 10 in total defense (286.7 yards allowed per game), passing defense (168.3) and scoring defense (16 points per game).

Josh Allen leads an offense that is scoring 37.3 points per game, another league high. He picked apart the Jaguars for four passing touchdowns before halftime on Monday night.

Allen won AFC Offensive Player of the Week, one week after running back James Cook won the honor for his three-touchdown game against the Miami Dolphins. Buffalo’s Gregory Rousseau won AFC Defensive Player of the Week for a three-sack game in Week 1.

“It’s a shame our O-line can’t win Offensive Player of the Week,” Allen quipped, “because they play their tails off. And even going back to Week 2, James was able to win that because of what our O-line’s doing.”

Damar Hamlin grabbed his first career interception in the Jacksonville blowout. It was an emotional moment for Hamlin, who suffered cardiac arrest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals less than 20 months ago.

“We keep it simple and everybody’s keeping the team first,” Hamlin said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday. “Buffalo is a special place to be.”

The Bills have ruled out linebacker Terrel Bernard (pec) and cornerback Taron Johnson (forearm) for Sunday, and rookie offensive lineman Tylan Grable (groin) will be out for multiple weeks. Cornerback Kaiir Elam (neck) was limited in Wednesday’s walkthrough.

The Ravens are dealing with a banged-up offensive line. Center Tyler Linderbaum (knee), left guard Andrew Vorhees (ankle) and right tackle Patrick Mekari (neck) missed Wednesday’s practice after they played every snap of the Dallas game. Nose tackle Michael Pierce (shoulder) and cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (hamstring) also sat out Wednesday, while linebacker Roquan Smith (ankle) was limited.

The Bills have won two straight meetings with the Ravens, including a victory in the divisional round of the 2020-21 playoffs.

–Field Level Media

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BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Ravens QB Lamar Jackson threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more on Saturday as top-seeded Baltimore pulled away from the visiting Houston Texans in the second half for a 34-10 victory in an AFC divisional playoff game.

The Ravens will host either the Bills or Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Buffalo and Kansas City are set to play today in the other AFC semifinal.

Baltimore broke the game open with 24 unanswered points in the second half, finding the end zone on each of its first three possessions following the break.

Jackson snapped a 10-10 tie with a 15-yard scoring run less than three minutes into the third quarter, capping a 55-yard drive. He made it 24-10 on the second play of the fourth quarter, rolling right and flipping a 15-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely to finish a 93-yard drive that lasted 7:03.

Jackson sealed the victory with 6:20 left in the game, running 8 yards for a TD to complete a march that ate up 7:10. He completed 16 of 22 passes for 152 yards while gaining 100 yards on 11 carries for the game.

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud struggled with the Baltimore defense. He hit on 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards and failed to get the Houston offense into the end zone for the second time in as many meetings with the Ravens. Yet the Texans, who routed the Cleveland Browns in the wild-card round, nearly led at halftime.

Houston answered Jackson’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Nelson Agholor with 9:14 left in the second quarter with some special-teams magic. Steven Sims grabbed a line-drive punt at his 33, burst up the middle, broke a weak tackle attempt and sprinted 67 yards for a game-tying touchdown at the 4:17 mark of the second.

The Texans threatened to take the lead late in the quarter, but Ka’imi Fairbairn, who connected on a 50-yard field goal with 28 seconds left in the first quarter, pushed a 47-yard attempt wide right with 32 seconds remaining.

Justin Tucker opened the scoring for Baltimore with a 53-yard field goal at the 8:36 mark of the first quarter. He also closed the scoring with a 43-yarder.

–Field Level Media

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SANTA CLARA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Lamar Jackson threw for 252 yards and two third-quarter touchdowns while the Baltimore Ravens intercepted San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy four times in a 33-19 win Monday night in California.

Baltimore (12-3) entered as a 6 1/2-point underdog in a matchup of the top teams in their conferences, and the visitors overcame a slow start. Jackson decisively outplayed Purdy in a matchup of the quarterbacks considered by many to be the top candidates for Most Valuable Player.

Jackson, who completed 23 of 35 passes, turned a four-point game at the half into a rout with scoring strikes of 6 and 9 yards to Nelson Agholor and Zay Flowers, respectively, in an 18-second span early in the third.

The result means Baltimore can clinch the AFC North and the top seed in the conference Sunday with a home win over the AFC East-leading Miami Dolphins.

Purdy hit on 18 of 32 attempts for 255 yards before leaving during a fourth-quarter touchdown drive with a stinger in his neck. Sam Darnold replaced him and finished the drive with a 12-yard touchdown strike to Ronnie Bell but later tossed the team’s fifth interception of the night. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

Raiders 20, Chiefs 14

Bilal Nichols and Jack Jones scored defensive touchdowns seven seconds apart in the second quarter to lead Las Vegas to an upset of host Kansas City, preventing the Chiefs from clinching the AFC West for the eighth straight season.

Zamir White rushed for a career-high 145 yards on 22 carries as Las Vegas (7-8) remained alive in the AFC West race. Patrick Mahomes completed 27 of 44 passes for 235 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Kansas City (9-6).

The Raiders’ first touchdown came when Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco took a direct snap but botched a handoff to Mahomes. Nichols picked up the ball and went 8 yards for the score with 4:55 left in the half. On the next offensive play, Jones jumped an out route, easily picked off Mahomes and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown.

Eagles 33, Giants 25

Jake Elliott kicked four field goals and host Philadelphia scored 13 points in the fourth quarter en route to a victory over New York.

The Eagles (11-4) moved a game in front of the Dallas Cowboys (10-5) atop the NFC East. Jalen Hurts threw for a TD and rushed for another for Philadelphia. He completed 24 of 38 passes for 301 yards and was picked off once.

Tyrod Taylor connected with Darius Slayton for a 69-yard scoring strike to pull the Giants (5-10) within 30-25. Taylor took over under center for Tommy DeVito, who was benched to start the second half. Taylor finished with 133 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 7-for-16 passing. DeVito was 9 of 16 for 55 yards.

–Field Level Media

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JACKSONVILLE – Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is hearing his name mentioned in the MVP conversation, but that doesn’t impress him much. The Baltimore star is more interested in making a run for the Super Bowl and Lombardi Trophy, and his top-seeded AFC team can take a big step in that direction when the Ravens visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday night.

Baltimore (10-3) holds a one-game lead over the Miami Dolphins at the top of the conference. There are nine scenarios in which the Ravens can clinch a playoff spot Sunday should they defeat the Jaguars (8-5).

Linebacker Patrick Queen is one of many Baltimore players eyeing the top seed and first-round bye, especially with the Ravens winning three straight games and seven of their past eight.

“We want it bad,” Queen said. “If we don’t get it, we make the playoffs. We’re still in there.”

Jackson was the NFL MVP in 2019 and appreciates the praise for his 2023 individual season, which includes 2,934 passing yards and 16 touchdown throws. He also has 644 yards and five scores on the ground.

But Baltimore hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2020 season, and Jackson is focused on changing that.

“It’s an honor just being acknowledged — to be in the conversation with great guys,” Jackson said. “But I’m just trying to stay locked in trying to win, because I want (the Lombardi) trophy.”

Jackson is coming off a superb performance in which he passed for 316 yards and three touchdowns and tacked on 70 rushing yards in last week’s 37-31 overtime home win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Baltimore won that contest on a 76-yard punt-return score by Tylan Wallace. The third-year-pro was only handling the duties because two-time Pro Bowl selection Devin Duvernay injured his back earlier in the season.

Duvernay was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, and Wallace now will be the team’s main returner.

Jacksonville will look to end a two-game slide in which it lost to the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns by a combined seven points.

The Jaguars have seen their lead in the AFC South shrink to one game over the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans. But Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence said he’s not concerned.

“We’re in a fine position, record-wise,” Lawrence said. “We have to take care of business this week and moving forward. We have to take it one week at time. We need to get back on track this week for sure.”

Lawrence has been dealing with a high ankle sprain sustained against the Bengals on Dec. 4. He was questionable for last week’s game against the Browns before playing and getting mixed results — 257 passing yards and three touchdowns but also throwing three interceptions.

He practiced in full on Wednesday and said he’s making progress.

“It’s feeling better. Thankfully, I made out of the game pretty clean,” Lawrence said. “I didn’t re-aggravate it anymore. I’m just trying to keep getting better every day; hopefully it feels even better this week. I was able to move around decent on Sunday, so that was positive.”

As per containing Jackson, the Jaguars rank fourth in the NFL in rushing defense at 92.2 yards per game.

Jacksonville also features two standouts. Pass rusher Josh Allen is tied for third in the NFL with 13.5 sacks, and linebacker Foyesade Oluokun ranks second in tackles with 138. Oluokun led the league in tackles each of the past two seasons.

Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith is tied for third with 136 tackles, while safety Geno Stone is second with six interceptions.

Baltimore safety Kyle Hamilton (knee) was injured against the Rams but was a limited practice participant on Wednesday. Smith (back) also was limited.

For Jacksonville, safety Andre Cisco (groin) and cornerback Tyson Campbell (quadriceps) didn’t practice. Cisco was hurt against the Browns while Campbell missed the contest.

The Jaguars notched a dramatic 28-27 home win over the Ravens last season. Lawrence tossed a 10-yard scoring pass to since-departed Marvin Jones with 14 seconds left, followed by a winning two-point conversion pass to Zay Jones.

–Field Level Media

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BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Preview) – Two teams reeling from Sunday losses at home will try to regroup and claim a key AFC North win when the division-leading Baltimore Ravens host the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night.

The Ravens (7-3) blew a golden opportunity to put more distance between themselves and the Steelers, Browns and Bengals, losing leads of 17-3 and 31-17 at home to Cleveland in a 33-31 loss. The setback snapped a four-game win streak.

Cincinnati (5-4) also had a four-game win streak snapped when they fought back from a 27-17 hole in the final three minutes, only to watch rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud lead Houston down the field for a game-winning field goal.

“We live, we grow, we get better. Every team is tested, and we’re getting tested. So I’m excited for (Thursday),” said Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, who enters Thursday just one touchdown shy of matching Todd Heap for the team’s all-time mark of 41.

The game against Cincinnati marks the end of a three-game homestand for Baltimore while Cincinnati is in a stretch of four games where Thursday is the only road contest.

Baltimore claimed a 27-24 victory at Cincinnati in Week 2.

Zay Flowers needs just one catch for 51 on the season, which would break a tie with Torrey Smith for the all-time Ravens rookie record. On defense, Ravens safety Geno Stone leads the NFL with six interceptions.

The Bengals’ defense is looking for a better effort after surrendering 17 plays of at least 20 yards in Sunday’s loss to Houston.

Both teams are also dealing with a multitude of injuries heading into a game on only three days of rest.

Ravens starting right tackle Morgan Moses (shoulder) has missed two straight games while Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey (ankle), starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley (knee) and linebacker Trenton Simpson (concussion) left Sunday’s loss to the Browns and did not return.

“I think we’re dealing with it right now. We’ve done a good job of that,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of the injury woes. “We’ve been on the road (a lot). We’ve (played) very tough teams in very physical games, and I feel like our guys have handled it very well.

“We have to continue to do it. That’s probably the main point right now: It’s how we handle that and how we approach it. Our job is to handle it better than our opponents do.”

The Bengals lost star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to a hyperextended left knee when Houston receiver Noah Brown rolled into him on the play before the game-winning field goal.

Hendrickson is expected to miss Thursday’s game, while Hendrickson’s bookend, edge Sam Hubbard, is dealing with a right ankle injury and missed last Sunday’s loss.

Rookie receiver Andrei Iosivas suffered a knee injury but finished the game Sunday against Houston.

The Bengals also missed the services of star receiver Tee Higgins, who is nursing a hamstring injury suffered Nov. 8 in practice. He also sat out last Sunday’s game vs. Houston.

“You’ve got to cram a whole game plan into really about two and a half days,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “And so the team’s got to understand that. We walked off the field Sunday, it was a Wednesday afternoon, post-practice is really the point of the week you’re at. And so, you’ve got to get your bodies right after a physical long game like we had.

“Baltimore had the same thing. I mean, it really similar styles of games that were just played. And our guys have to get themselves ready and our coaches have to do a good job preparing them in a short span this week.”

–Field Level Media

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CINCINNATI – (Staff report by Field Level Media) – With the oft-injured injured Lamar Jackson out, the Baltimore Ravens reportedly plan to use both backup quarterbacks during Sunday night’s AFC wild-card game against the host Cincinnati Bengals.

Multiple reports said the Ravens will deploy the unusual strategy with Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown, despite challenges with each.

Huntley, 24, is dealing with tendinitis in his right shoulder as well as a wrist injury. He was listed as questionable on the official injury report.

As a starter in his career, Huntley is 3-5. His injured shoulder hampered his performance this season, with Huntley completing just three passes of at least 20 yards in four starts.

When asked at Friday’s practice if he’s ready to return to the field, Huntley reported he has “no nerves.”

Just excited to get back out there after missing one week,” Huntley said. “It’s a privilege to go out there and play football and I appreciate it.”

Meanwhile, the Ravens’ other backup quarterback, Brown, 24, is an undrafted rookie who’s made only one career start, last Sunday’s 27-16 loss to the Bengals. In that game, he threw for 286 yards with two interceptions and a fumble.

The two QBs have different strengths, with Brown the better passer while Huntley is more proficient at using the same run-oriented offense as Jackson.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh has been tight-lipped about the situation, declining to name a starter after Friday’s practice.

“We’ll see when the time comes,” Harbaugh said.

Jackson, who was ruled out for a sixth straight game with a left knee injury, “suffered a PCL Grade 2 sprain, on the borderline of a strain 3” and his knee “remains unstable,” according to Jackson’s own tweet on Thursday.

The Ravens enter Sunday night’s matchup against the defending AFC champion Bengals as a heavy underdog.

–Field Level Media

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Lamar Jackson threw for four touchdowns and rushed for another as the Baltimore Ravens held off a late comeback attempt to defeat the New England Patriots 37-26 on Sunday at Foxboro.

Jackson completed 18 of 29 passes for 218 yards and had 107 yards on the ground on just 11 carries. Mark Andrews had eight receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns for Baltimore (2-1).

New England cut its deficit to 31-26 after Rhamondre Stevenson’s 1-yard rushing touchdown with 12:39 left to play but the Patriots failed to convert a two-point conversion.

New England (1-2) then turned the ball over on its next three possessions. After throwing an interception on the last drive of the game, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones limped off the field with an apparent left leg injury.

Jones threw for 321 yards and three interceptions on 22-of-32 passing. He rushed for one touchdown. DeVante Parker led all receivers with five catches for 156 yards for New England, while Stevenson and Damien Harris each rushed for one score.

The Patriots burst out of halftime, driving 75 yards in seven plays in just under three minutes to go up 20-14. Harris finished off the march with a 2-yard rushing TD.

Baltimore’s Justice Hill rushed 34 yards to the New England 6 on the ensuing drive, setting up Jackson’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Josh Oliver for a 21-20 Ravens lead. It was Oliver’s first career touchdown.

In the first half, Jonathan Jones intercepted Jackson’s pass intended for Rashod Bateman with 8:12 left in the second quarter and returned it to the Baltimore 32. The Patriots took advantage of the short field as Jones walked untouched into the end zone from 3 yards out for a 10-7 lead.

However, Jackson’s 16-yard scoring strike to Andrews with 30 seconds left in the first half put the Ravens back on top. The Patriots pulled within 14-13 before the break, on Nick Folk’s 50-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter.

Jackson also connected with Andrews in the first quarter on a 5-yard shovel pass to get Baltimore on the board.

–Field Level Media

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