BALTIMORE (AP) — Lamar Jackson threw for two touchdowns in a flawless first half, Derrick Henry scored twice while leading Baltimore’s devastating running game, and the Ravens beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-14 to advance to the second round of the AFC playoffs. The Ravens move on to face either Buffalo or Houston after jumping out to a 21-0 halftime lead and holding on against their AFC North rivals. Baltimore had a 19-2 advantage in first downs in the first half, when the Ravens produced touchdown drives of 95, 85 and 90 yards, Henry ran for 186 yards, and Baltimore outrushed the Steelers 299-29. It was the most yards rushing allowed by Pittsburgh in a playoff game.
Pittsburgh’s season ends with five straight losses, two of which came in Baltimore. The ending was a familiar story for the Steelers, who have lost six consecutive playoff games. The last three times they’ve been in the postseason, they’ve fallen on the road in games that have exemplified the gap between Pittsburgh and the conference’s true contenders. “They were the better group today. That was obvious,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “The X factor was Lamar’s unique talents. It seems like every time we got him behind the sticks, he made up for it.”