The first AFC playoff berth has been had by the Baltimore Ravens.
Baltimore beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, 23-7, and clinched a postseason trip in the process.
After losses by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos on Saturday, the path was cleared for a win-and-in scenario for the Ravens. Lamar Jackson and Co. took care of business, and Baltimore is back in the playoffs for the second consecutive season and the fifth over the past six years.
“We’re very excited about that,” head coach John Harbaugh said postgame in response to clinching. “That’s the first step. That’s our starting-point goal. And we’ll go from there.”
Jackson played spectacularly, leading the team with 97 rushing yards and throwing for another 171 yards and a score, but his single-game approach left him unaware of the victory’s significance until after the win was secured.
“I didn’t know we clinched the playoffs,” he said. “I’m just trying to win. I’m trying to get there. I’m trying to win a game at a time. But I’m grateful for it. I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
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Consequently, more reason for celebration comes as Jackson played in a Week 15 game for the first time since the 2020 season. Injuries forced the quarterback to miss the last five weeks of the 2022 regular season and the final four games of the 2021 campaign.
Jackson and the Ravens (11-3) are flying high down the stretch of the 2023 season, having won four in a row after Sunday to maintain their lead in the AFC North and their grip on the AFC’s top seed.
This marks the 11th playoff trip in Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh’s 16-year tenure as head coach.
After becoming the initial AFC team to clinch a playoff spot, Harbaugh’s Ravens will aim to win their first division crown since 2019 and wrap up the conference’s top seed for the first time since that same season.
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