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The Baltimore Ravens sure know how to make a statement. After a rocky start to the season that left many questioning Lamar Jackson‘s future, they flipped the script. After their Wild Card game against the Steelers, Jackson was part of playoff history alongside running back Derrick Henry. The duo ran all over the Steelers, who collapsed defensively and could find their feet in the offense. Unsurprisingly, John Harbaugh was one proud HC after the 28-14 win on Saturday.

The Ravens’ 299 rushing yards against Pittsburgh were the most by a team in an NFL playoff game in 12 years. You will have to go back to January 12, 2013, when the 49ers had 323 rushing yards in a win over the Packers. Ironically, the 49ers were coached by Jim Harbaugh, John’s brother. Before the Steelers could even lay a glove on their opponents, the Ravens were already soaring with a 21-0 lead. It took until the third quarter for Mike Tomlin’s side to get on board.

The more you look into the numbers the more you understand the dominance of the Ravens and the incompetence of the Steelers. Baltimore had 299 rushing yards compared to a paltry 29 by Pittsburgh. It was the most yards rushing allowed by Pittsburgh in a playoff game, breaking the mark of 232 set by the Oakland Raiders 51 years ago. And it seems John Harabugh is keen to drive the point how good his team was.

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In the post-game presser, Harbaugh was full of praise for his side, lauding their effort on both sides of the ball saying, “They understood how to win a football game like this.” Behind the curtains, he is being less modest about the performance.

Ravens reporter for Baltimore Banner, Giana Han shared a tweet after the game, capturing the mood inside the locker room. She wrote, “John Harbaugh is wandering the locker room handing out praise. He shouts out the d line: “I mean, how many rushing yards did they get???”

That speaks volumes about

Mike Tomlin and the Steelers’ O-line, who just couldn’t get things going against the Ravens’ defense. The Steelers offensive went 5-for-11 on third-down attempts and were easily thwarted by the stellar defensive performance from John Harbaugh’s side.

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The Ravens were in control throughout and never led by less than 14 points in the second half. Their success was built on the three touchdown drives in the first half. The highlight included when they ran 13 times for 85 yards and capped it off with an eight-yard touchdown run by Derrick Henry. Harbaugh, rightfully, couldn’t get enough of his team’s dominant display.

Talking about their system, Harbaugh emphasized the “Ravens way.” “We don’t have a particular system we run, we’re not like the West Coast system. We’re just the Ravens system. What’s the best offense we can put together for our guys.” Despite their convincing win, there was a moment when the Steelers threatened an unlikely comeback.

In the second half, the Steelers drove 98 yards for a touchdown with Russell Wilson throwing a 30-yard scoring pass to Van Jefferson. However, Henry responded with a 44-yard TD to restore his side’s advantage. Wilson was at the center of things again as he came up with a 36-yard touchdown strike to George Pickens in the third.

The Steelers quarterback went 20 of 29 for 270 yards and two touchdowns, and his offensive play earned praise from John Harbaugh.

“They found the weaknesses in the coverage and we didn’t play it quite right,” the Ravens HC said. Meanwhile, he had stars on his own team to celebrate. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry accounted for 267 rushing yards – the most by a quarterback-running back teammate duo in a playoff game since the San Francisco 49ers’ 2012 divisional-round win over the Green Bay Packers. Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore combined for 300 rushing yards in that game.

For Jackson, this was a massive performance after being under the cosh at the start of the season and he was lauded by his coach for turning up on the big occasion.

John Harbaugh full of praise for Lamar Jackson after the wild-card win

At the start of the season, Lamar Jackson couldn’t catch a break. Critics were everywhere, blasting him for his shaky playoff history and questioning his ability to lead the Ravens when it mattered most. It was like watching a rockstar being booed offstage before the encore, right? Everyone had their doubts, and the pressure was on. But Jackson? He didn’t let that noise faze him. Instead of folding under the weight of those comments, the QB did what he does best.

Against the Steelers,  Jackson completed 16 of 21 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns, running for 81 yards. Praising Lamar’s mental and physical toughness, Harbaugh said, “You can’t get over how tough he is, how physically tough he is, how mentally tough he is.”

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Lamar Jackson’s been killing it this season. So far, the 28-year-old has racked up, 4,172 yards with 41 TDs to his name.  Already a two-time MVP (no big deal, right?), and he’s making a strong case for that third MVP honor this year. Jackson’s been straight-up balling this season, and if you’ve been sleeping on him, now’s the time to wake up. Given how he combined with Derrick Henry, who had 26 carries for 186 yards and two touchdowns in the Wild Card game, the future bodes well for the Ravens.

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Now, all eyes are on the divisional game. This is where it gets real, and we’ll see if Lamar Jackson and Co. can lead the Ravens on that Super Bowl ride their fans all been waiting for.

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