Robert Griffin III savors first start in three years as Ravens finish 14-2

BALTIMORE — The Lamar Jackson Experience will return to M&T Bank Stadium in two weeks, but the show is on a brief hiatus during the holidays. For Sunday’s performance, the starring role was filled by an older understudy who once captivated fans in a similar fashion.

It’s not easy to say whether Robert Griffin III will ever be an NFL starter again, but on a messy, rain-soaked afternoon that won’t otherwise affect the Baltimore Ravens’ season, the soon-to-be 30-year-old wanted to make the most of an opportunity.

Griffin made his first start since Jan. 1, 2017 and quarterbacked the Ravens to a 28-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, as Baltimore closed out the season at 14-2, the best record in franchise history.

The Ravens didn’t play Jackson and several other starters because their win a week ago locked them into the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC.

“I told the guys in the huddle, before the game when we broke, that every time you put the shoulder pads on it’s an opportunity,” Griffin said. “When people say there’s no pressure, there was pressure for a lot of guys out there that hadn’t played. I ain’t started a game in three years, you know, and other guys that played had to play a lot more than they normally do, there was pressure for them to perform. And I can’t be happier for those guys that they went out and we shut down the Steelers’ offense and we were able to dominate the Steelers’ defense.”

Sunday also marked Griffin’s first win as a starter since Week 16 of the 2016 season for the Cleveland Browns, after his Washington Redskins days were behind him. The numbers weren’t spectacular: He finished 11-for-21 for just 96 passing yards and a garbage-time interception, as well as 50 rushing yards on eight carries.

Nobody expected Griffin to air the ball out. A steady rainfall encouraged both teams to rely on the run game. More to the point, in the middle of an era where almost every other team is throwing more and more, the 2019 Ravens solidified themselves as the most prolific rushing team in league history.

In the second quarter, Baltimore broke a 41-year-old NFL record for team rushing yards in a single season. They finished with 223 ground yards for the day and 3,296 for the year.

In keeping with that script, Griffin’s day consisted of plenty of handoffs to second- and third-string running backs Gus Edwards and Justice Hill. Edwards finished with a career high 130 rushing yards.

Griffin himself scrambled for nine yards for a first down on the first drive of the game, getting out of bounds and accidentally sending an NFL employee tumbling. He later added a 16-yard dash down the right sideline.

But it was hard to make any declarations about Griffin’s future from his 21 pass attempts. He made a few slick throws, the longest a 20-yard connection over the middle to tight end Hayden Hurst to convert on third down — and leading to one of Griffin’s several celebratory moments, his right hand palm-up above his shoulder and his tongue sticking out.

But he missed other throws that should have been standard, either too far in front of their intended targets or too far behind. His final throw of the day was deflected and intercepted.

Raven coach John Harbaugh was happy with how Griffin handled starting duties, saying he made some clutch throws and runs in unusual, muddy circumstances. As he and Griffin crossed paths in the press conference room, Harbaugh even took the blame for the interception, saying he shouldn’t have called a passing play that late in a win.

“I know it means a lot (to him),” Harbaugh said. “He’s a family man. He’s done a great job as a team member first. Here’s a player that’s been at the pinnacle, and (to) come in here and contribute to the team the way he does, it just speaks to his character.”

To hear Griffin tell it, his day was a blur. He shared that he was mic’d up for the game, presumably for NFL Films, and said, “I can’t wait to hear what I was saying.” Asked about his pose after threading the needle to Hurst, he laughed and said, “I don’t know what that pose was.”

His frequent post-play celebrations after passes or runs for first downs, he said, were to provide intensity for his teammates.

The game’s turning point came just before halftime, after the Ravens took a 9-7 lead on the third of Tucker’s four field goals on the night. The Steelers were going to receive the ball first in the second half, but with a minute to go, they opted for a passing play. Matthew Judon dashed in and forced Devlin Hodges to fumble and Baltimore recovered. After three short Griffin completions, Hill rumbled in for a touchdown run.

With a 19-10 lead in the fourth quarter, Baltimore’s defense and special teams created another nine points. Pittsburgh punter Jordan Berry muffed a snap that the Ravens soon recovered in the end zone. A few plays later, Hodges was assessed an intentional grounding from the end zone while trying to escape a sack, giving Baltimore a safety.

The Ravens will host an AFC divisional round game Jan. 11 or 12, drawing either the No. 4 seed Houston Texans, the No. 5 Buffalo Bills or the No. 6 Tennessee Titans. If they win, the AFC Championship Game will be played in the Charm City for the first time since the Colts hosted in 1970 — and the Ravens most likely will face Pat Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs or Tom Brady’s New England Patriots.

Barring a catastrophic injury, Griffin won’t need to shoulder any of the load on this playoff run. It’s become Jackson’s team this season, remaking a franchise that didn’t know how to improve or separate from an aging Joe Flacco not long ago.

But Griffin is happy to be along for the ride.

“I want to savor this moment because I don’t know when I’ll get an opportunity to start again,” he said. “That’s why I wanted to have fun. I’ve never really been a ’first down signal’ guy. But I was today.”