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Lamar Jackson celebrates because the Baltimore Ravens beat the Miami Dolphins in Week 17
Comfortable New 12 months everybody! Based mostly on what I noticed on Sunday, 2024 might be an excellent yr for the Baltimore Ravens – and that is the place I wish to begin this week’s column…
1) Jackson taking part in excellent soccer
It has been a formidable couple of weeks for the Ravens, particularly their quarterback Lamar Jackson, who’s now the favorite to be named the NFL’s MVP. He led Baltimore to a 56-19 thrashing of their closest challengers within the AFC, the Miami Dolphins – and that is one week after a 33-19 street win over the No 1 crew within the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers.
Lamar has now crushed 10 groups with successful information on this marketing campaign. You must marvel if anybody can cease him and the Ravens this season.
Lamar Jackson connects with Zay Flowers who finds the top zone for a 75-yard TD!
What was notable towards Miami was he solely needed to run six instances on the evening. This was a passing efficiency – and it was excellent from begin to end. Jackson produced an ideal passer score of 158.3, hitting on 18 of 21 go makes an attempt, for 321 yards, 5 touchdowns and no picks. However you do not even want the numbers… you simply watch him play and he is excellent. It does not get any higher than that on the quarterback place.
2) Ravens prime of the pile heading into playoffs
We have talked about Jackson, he is the headline act, however the Ravens are full crew. The wins over San Francisco and Miami have been complete crew performances.
Highlights of the conflict between the Miami Dolphins and the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17 of the NFL season
Towards the Dolphins, 5 completely different gamers caught landing passes, whereas the protection recorded three sacks and two interceptions to make it seven sacks and as many picks over the previous fortnight. That is a bruising technique to ship a message to the remainder of the NFL.
And although Lamar did not do a lot on the bottom towards Miami, they nonetheless rushed for 160 yards and two scores as a crew. It is a powerful crew, taking part in a bodily model of soccer, the sort that has produced Tremendous Bowl champions prior to now. The Ravens are the crew to beat as we head into Week 18 and past.
3) Flacco fires once more for surging Browns
Joe Flacco is writing one of many tales of this and any current NFL season. A 37-20 win over the New York Jets for the Cleveland Browns confirmed their place within the playoffs.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco has thrown over 300 yards in four-straight begins
Flacco has now thrown for greater than 300 yards in all of his final 4 video games and the Browns are 4-1 since they signed the 38-year-old quarterback. There is no such thing as a doubt that the previous Tremendous Bowl MVP with the Ravens over a decade in the past has saved Cleveland’s season. He’s a big improve on Dorian Thompson-Robinson and PJ Walker.
The Browns are aggressive and likeable. Their followers should be so excited by what has occurred.
Highlights of the New York Jets towards the Cleveland Browns from Week 17 of the NFL season.
4) Chiefs protection bails out Mahomes & co to clinch division
The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs clinched an eight-straight AFC West title with their win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. However this one may be very completely different to so most of the others, which have been pushed by Patrick Mahomes.
Highlights of the Cincinnati Bengals towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in Week 17 of the NFL season.
This was about Kansas Metropolis’s protection, which is now thought of among the finest within the league. They dialled up constant and complicated stress that proved an excessive amount of for Cincinnati QB Jake Browning, who was sacked six instances because the Bengals have been held to simply 263 yards of offense.
Cincinnati did scare the Chiefs – they took a 17-7 lead on Browning’s landing run with round six and a half minutes left within the first half – however they by no means scored once more after half time and that allowed Kansas Metropolis to clinch the West, regardless of their final six scores all being Harrison Butker discipline targets. This offense is caught within the mud; their protection is retaining them afloat.
5) Eagles demise continues to dumbfound
The demise of the Philadelphia Eagles has been one of the crucial gorgeous developments of the final 5 weeks of this NFL season. They’ve misplaced 4 of their final 5 video games – their newest a 35-31 defeat to the Arizona Cardinals.
Highlights of the conflict between the Arizona Cardinals and the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17 of the NFL season.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts has questioned the dedication of the crew, extensive receiver AJ Brown is having a sulk and hasn’t spoken to the media for 2 weeks, however the protection is the actual subject – they could not get off the sphere on Sunday, giving up these 35 factors to the Cardinals, in addition to 449 yards!
This crew’s go rush final yr was among the finest in NFL historical past. However that has utterly dried up this yr and what was a talent-laden crew is now in all probability going to be a wildcard outfit at finest within the playoffs – and few would again them to make a lot noise primarily based on their present kind.
Participant of the Week – Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
I gave you the numbers behind Lamar’s exemplary efficiency earlier however, as I say, you simply want to look at this man play to see how he shines on the largest of phases. He was the perfect participant within the NFL this week, and has been the entire season.
Lamar Jackson strengthened his MVP case with one other dominant show towards the Miami Dolphins
He has developed as a passer and matured as a runner. He’s a far higher participant now due to his progress in these areas. He protects his physique much more as of late.
A giant month is arising for the Ravens QB. He’s 1-3 within the playoffs, and that’s how his profession will finally be judged. He has by no means beforehand made it previous the divisional spherical however this crew is a number one Tremendous Bowl contender. He has to ship within the postseason – his legacy will depend on it.
Play of the Week – Fields’ TD toss to Moore
There have been some nice performs this week, together with some unimaginable catches downfield. However I am going with a seven-yard landing which I assumed was excellent – Justin Fields to DJ Moore within the again nook of the top zone, with actually centimetres to spare.
It was an absolute strike from Chicago’s quarterback, who later added a landing run in a win that has made it seven victories for the season – and so they nonetheless maintain the No 1 decide within the 2024 Draft by advantage of their commerce final yr with the Carolina Panthers.
You must marvel if they’re going to now use one of many younger QBs popping out of school or if they’ll proceed to construct round Fields, who’s catching the attention as we head down the stretch of this season. He’s definitely putting up an excellent partnership with Moore.
Coach of the Week – Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals
Jonathan Gannon took a crew within the Cardinals, who actually don’t have anything to play for the remainder of the way in which, into his outdated administrative center in Philadelphia – the place he was beforehand the defensive coordinator – and took down the Eagles.
Jonathan Gannon is in his first season as Arizona Cardinals head coach
It was a reminder that Gannon hasn’t given up on this season, although losses would lead to higher draft picks for this crew.
He put collectively an ideal offensive game-plan to reap the benefits of Philadelphia’s ailing protection, obtained the perfect out of QB Kyler Murray and has undoubtedly supplied a extra optimistic feeling across the Cardinals as they head in direction of the offseason.
On my radar… The Dolphins towards successful groups
We have spoken all season lengthy about Miami’s incapability to beat groups with successful information. They are not in a position to knock off high quality groups – apart from that one time on Christmas Eve towards the Dallas Cowboys. Each different recreation they’ve had towards a crew with a successful document, they’ve misplaced, making them 1-4 for the season in these video games. And now right here come the Buffalo Payments in Week 18…
Highlights of the conflict between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Payments in Week 17 of the NFL season.
This recreation will determine the winner of the AFC East and who will get the No 2 seed within the convention. It is an enormous recreation and Miami merely should reply the bell – and achieve this with a banged-up quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa and with out go rushed Bradley Chubb, who tore his ACL towards the Ravens. We additionally have to see if Jaylen Waddle is again from his excessive ankle sprain.
Accidents have began to chunk for the Dolphins. And, finally, I feel Buffalo wins this recreation… The Dolphins are proper about the place they have been final yr – an excellent and thrilling crew, however one that’s not fairly able to problem the large boys.
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