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Ravens clinch AFC North with win vs. Browns as Lamar Jackson makes history: Key takeaways

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By Jeff Zrebiec, Zac Jackson and Cale Clinton

The Baltimore Ravens have clinched the AFC North title and the conference’s No. 3 seed in the playoffs with a 35-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday. The Ravens (12-5) conclude their season by solidifying themselves as a historically great offense, while the Browns (3-14) secured a top-three pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after they started their fourth quarterback of the season in Bailey Zappe.

Lamar Jackson finished the night 16-of-32 passing for 217 yards and two passing touchdowns, adding 63 rushing yards on nine carries. The MVP candidate already made history by setting the all-time quarterback rushing record a week prior. Saturday, though, put Jackson’s single season in a different stratosphere of dual-threat quarterback play. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 800 yards. In addition, Jackson finished the season with 41 passing touchdowns and four interceptions, the fewest interceptions by a quarterback with 40 touchdowns in NFL history.

Jackson wasn’t the only one making history. Baltimore concludes its season as one of the greatest offensive units ever. The Ravens’ 7,224 total yards of offense sits at third-most all-time, making them one of five teams to eclipse the 7,000-yard mark. The Ravens averaged 6.78 yards per play all season, third-most in NFL history behind the “Greatest Show on Turf” 2000 Rams and the 2018 Chiefs.

Most of that was fueled by a potent rushing attack. Baltimore finished with the third-most rushing yards in NFL history, becoming the seventh team in NFL history to rush for 3,000 yards in a single season. It is the third time in the Jackson era that the Ravens have eclipsed 3,000 yards, making them the only franchise to eclipse the total multiple times. Baltimore also finished with 5.77 yards per rushing attempt, second-most all-time behind the 1948 San Francisco 49ers and barely eclipsing Jim Brown’s 1963 Cleveland Browns.

Derrick Henry finished the night with 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 20 carries, with an additional 23 yards on a pair of catches. That puts Henry at 1,921 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns on the season, making him the first player in NFL history with multiple seasons of 1,900-yard seasons as well as the first player with at least 1,500 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in three different seasons.

go-deeper

GO DEEPER

Ravens’ leading receiver Zay Flowers ruled out with knee injury vs. Browns

Browns receiver Jerry Jeudy also made some history Saturday. His 90 receptions on the season set the Browns’ single-season franchise record for receptions, beating out Hall of Fame tight end Ozzie Newsome (89).

Zay Flowers’ status will be major storyline

The Ravens’ No. 1 goal was to win and secure an AFC North title, the No. 3 seed and at least one home playoff game. Mission accomplished. The second goal was to get out of the game against the lowly Browns as healthy and fresh as possible. That got dicey when at the end of a 12-yard reception in the second quarter, Ravens top wide receiver Zay Flowers injured his right knee.

Flowers exited with a pronounced limp, had a brief stay in the blue medical tent and then retreated to the locker room with team doctors. There’s no immediate word on the severity of Flowers’ injury, but he’s one of the guys Baltimore could least afford to lose heading into the playoffs. Flowers, a first-time Pro Bowl selection and a 1,000-yard receiver, is one of Baltimore’s most dynamic playmakers. — Jeff Zrebiec, Baltimore Ravens beat writer

Baltimore needs to play better next week

The Ravens will find out who they play in the first round either later Saturday or Sunday afternoon. If the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday or the Los Angeles Chargers lose to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, the Ravens will face the Chargers next weekend at M&T Bank Stadium. If the Steelers lose and the Chargers win, the Ravens will get the Steelers for Round Three.

Regardless of who the opponent is, Baltimore will need to be much sharper to advance. They appeared to be peaking at the right time heading into this game, but the offense struggled throughout. Jackson wasn’t particularly sharp. It took the run game until the second half to get going. There were too many drops and pre-snap penalties against a defense decimated by injuries. The opposition will get much tougher and the Ravens will have to be better. — Zrebiec

Cleveland’s cursed quarterback jersey grows

Zappe was the Browns’ fourth starting quarterback of the season and No. 40 for the team since its 1999 return to the league. Zappe’s predictable interception early was returned for a touchdown by Ravens rookie Nate Wiggins, and though the Browns then subbed Zappe for one season with Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Zappe came back and was just OK. He’s not a serious option to be No. 41 next season, and the Browns will soon ramp up their search for that player. 2024 was a complete disaster on almost every front in large part because the Deshaun Watson experiment provided the Browns with a definitive answer on Watson and their recent roster building.

Zappe went over 100 yards passing early in the fourth quarter and placed the ball well on a touchdown to Jordan Akins a few snaps later, but he was overmatched. He threw a second interception in the final three minutes and finished 16-of-31 for 170 yards. — Zac Jackson, Cleveland Browns beat writer

An epitome of the 2024 Browns experience

No one can fault the Browns’ defensive effort. And the Browns scored in double digits for the first time since Dec. 8. But really, this game was a predictable and necessary end for the Browns in their quest to secure premium draft position. In three games after benching Jameis Winston, they scored two touchdowns. A rotation of Zappe and Thompson-Robinson had zero chance in Baltimore, and everyone knew it. Will the Browns’ ownership group demand better from its football operation and replace those who put together these failed quarterback projects? Now that it’s over, we’ll find out soon.

A good way to sum things up: Jeudy set a new franchise record with his 90th reception of the season. On the next play, Zappe was intercepted by Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce.

The Browns finished the season with six consecutive losses, the last five by double digits. They threw interceptions to the bitter end and finish with a league-high 23 interceptions. — Jackson

Required reading

(Photo: Greg Fiume / Getty Images)



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