Lamar Jackson threw three landing passes and Marlon Humphrey scored on a fourth-quarter interception return to assist the Baltimore Ravens pull even with Pittsburgh atop the AFC North with a 34-17 victory over the Steelers on Saturday.
Pittsburgh (10-5) would have clinched the division with a victory, however now the groups are deadlocked after the Ravens (10-5) gained for simply the second time within the final 10 video games on this collection. Baltimore clinched a playoff berth. The Steelers had already completed so.
Russell Wilson threw two landing passes, the second of which tied the sport at 17 with 5:14 left within the third quarter. Jackson answered with a seven-yard scoring strike to Mark Andrews, and after Pittsburgh turned the ball over on downs, a 44-yard run by Derrick Henry put the Ravens within the purple zone.
That drive got here to nothing when Jackson was intercepted for simply the fourth time this season, however then Humphrey picked off Wilson and went 37 yards to the tip zone to offer Baltimore a cushion in a collection that’s been razor-thin of late. The earlier 9 video games between the Steelers and Ravens had been determined by seven factors or fewer.
Jackson improved to 2-4 towards Pittsburgh as a starter. This was his first time dealing with the Steelers at dwelling since 2020.
Henry rushed for 162 yards.
Pittsburgh entered the sport with a plus-18 margin in turnovers, however the Ravens had the sting in that division Saturday. Baltimore recovered three of their very own fumbles and had two massive takeaways.
Jackson discovered Isaiah Possible for a nine-yard landing to open the scoring. Wilson answered with a one-yard scoring cross to MyCole Pruitt, and the Steelers appeared poised to take the lead when the veteran quarterback broke free for a 19-yard run in Baltimore territory.
However Ar’Darius Washington delivered a punishing hit on Wilson on the finish of that play, jarring the ball free. Kyle Van Noy recovered for the Ravens on the Baltimore 4.
The Ravens then drove 96 yards and took a 14-7 lead on Jackson’s 14-yard landing toss to Rashod Bateman.
Wilson threw a 12-yard TD to Cordarrelle Patterson to tie it within the third.
Houston Texans 19-27 Kansas Metropolis Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes knew he may run on the ankle he sprained final week. The larger concern for the Chiefs quarterback was how he would cease, when all the burden and stress and momentum would land squarely upon it.
The answer towards Houston was easy: Mahomes didn’t cease.
The 2-time MVP saved chugging ahead till he plowed into the tip zone on a 15-yard scramble to cap the Chiefs’ opening drive on Saturday. Mahomes proceeded to throw for 260 yards and one other rating, by no means as soon as wanting troubled by his ailing ankle, and led Kansas Metropolis to a 27-19 victory that put the Chiefs on the point of the No 1 seed within the AFC playoffs.
The Chiefs (14-1) can clinch the postseason bye and home-field benefit if Buffalo loses to or ties New England on Sunday. If the Payments win, Kansas Metropolis can wrap it up by beating Pittsburgh on Christmas Day – their third recreation in an 11-day span.
“I ask quite a bit from the blokes round me. I really feel like if I’m going to ask them to play via ache and nicks and bruises, I’ve obtained to do it as effectively,” Mahomes mentioned. “That’s one thing that I delight myself on is being on the market with my guys.”
Xavier Worthy had seven catches for 65 yards and a landing, Kareem Hunt ran for 55 yards and one other rating, and Marquise Brown had 5 catches for 45 yards for Kansas Metropolis in his first recreation this season after recovering from a shoulder harm.
The outcome was what Chiefs coach Andy Reid known as his workforce’s most complete efficiency of the season.
As for Mahomes?
“He spoils the canine out of us, he’s so powerful,” Reid mentioned. “You get used to it. However most guys don’t come again from that like he did.”
CJ Stroud threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions for Houston (9-6), and a type of TD throws got here at an incredible expense. Tank Dell, who had six catches for 98 yards, sustained a devastating knee harm on the play and was taken to the College of Kansas Medical Heart, the place Texans coach DeMeco Ryans mentioned he would stay in a single day.
“All our ideas and prayers are with Tank proper now. You see what he means to our whole workforce,” Ryans mentioned. “It hurts to see him go down like that. He was having a incredible recreation, taking part in very well for us.”
Stroud was visibly shaken by the harm and needed to be consoled by teammates on the sideline.
“I imply, all you may actually do is pray,” he mentioned.
There have been questions early within the week about whether or not Mahomes, who has a historical past of ankle accidents, would play in any respect after he sustained a excessive ankle sprain late in final week’s win over Cleveland. However he was off the harm report by Friday, and he was on the sector and main the Chiefs to a landing on their opening possession.
His scramble for a rating was merely the beginning of a back-and-forth first half.
The Texans answered with a 33-yard discipline purpose, then went on a 13-play, 82-yard drive that ended with Stroud’s landing toss to Dalton Schutlz. However the Chiefs rapidly regained the lead when Hunt barreled into the tip zone, they usually tacked on a discipline purpose a couple of minutes later after Stroud’s second interception to steer 17-10 on the break.
Dell was harm on the Texans’ opening drive of the third quarter. He was coming throughout the again of the tip zone and made a spectacular catch however collided with teammate Jared Wayne on his approach to the bottom. He instantly grabbed his left knee, and gamers from each groups surrounded him as he was loaded onto a cart and pushed from the sector.
Ka’imi Fairbairn promptly missed the additional level, and any momentum Houston would possibly’ve had disappeared.
Kansas Metropolis marched the opposite means, relying closely on Worthy, who touched the ball 4 instances on the drive. The primary-round choose completed it off with an eight-yard reception, giving him a season excessive for receiving yards and his eighth landing of the yr.
The groups matched fourth-quarter discipline targets, and the Texans took over trailing 27-19 with simply over 5 minutes to go. However the Chiefs pressured a three-and-out, getting a sack from Josh Williams on a cornerback blitz, and ran out the clock from there.
“This was an incredible take a look at versus a very good playoff workforce,” Ryans mentioned. “This was a playoff ambiance right here in the present day. I assumed our guys battled the proper means. We simply have to complete.”
