Coach John Harbaugh asked quarterback Lamar Jackson if he wanted to go for it. The Baltimore Ravens faced fourth-and-1 with slightly more than a minute remaining at their own 43-yard line. A conversion would seal the game. A turnover on downs would give the ball back to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in great field position.
Jackson didn’t need to think twice: “Hell yeah,” he yelled back to his coach.
Baltimore’s gutsy call resulted in a first down — and essentially the win — as the Ravens then ran out the clock in Sunday’s thrilling 36-35 win over the Chiefs. The Ravens erased an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter behind Jackson’s strong play, particularly on the ground. Jackson finished rushing for 113 yards and threw for 239.
The victory marked the first time in Jackson’s four-year career that the Ravens had beaten the Chiefs. Kansas City was previously 3-0 against Baltimore with Jackson.
“It feels good to get that monkey off of our back,” said Jackson, who once called the Chiefs his “kryptonite.”
Harbaugh said he made the decision to go for it on fourth down because of his confidence in Jackson. The former MVP converted the play with a quarterback sneak.
“I knew he was going to say yes,” Harbaugh said, referencing his choice to get Jackson’s input before the play.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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