Pittsburgh’s defeat opened the door for Baltimore to take charge of the AFC North, which they did emphatically thanks to Jackson’s efforts and a large dose of running back Derrick Henry.
Jackson’s 48-yard touchdown run was the highlight, where he reached a career-best speed of 21.25mph to leave the Houston defence for dead – despite joking “I was jogging” after the game.
His 87 yards gave Jackson 6,110 yards in his career, eclipsing Michael Vick’s previous record of 6,109 set over 13 seasons. Jackson has been a starter for just seven years.
The quarterback’s playmaking ability with his arm and his foot speed is complemented by the bruising running style of Henry – who had 147 yards and a team record 16th touchdown.
“It’s just another phenomenal performance,” said head coach John Harbaugh of Jackson. “It’s just kind of what he does every week.”
The 11-5 Ravens have the top offence in the NFL and, like the Chiefs, are hitting stride at the right time, with their defence keeping the Texans at bay.
Unlike the Chiefs, the Ravens will need to go full strength in their final game against the Cleveland Browns to make sure they win their division and get at least one home play-off game.
