5 months ago
Derrick Henry rushed for a season-high 216 yards and matched a profession precocious pinch 4 touchdown runs arsenic nan Baltimore Ravens kept their playoff hopes live by defeating nan Green Bay Packers 41-24 connected Saturday night.
Henry had 3 touchdown runs successful nan first half and past scored again connected a 25-yard tally pinch 1:56 near successful nan game. His seventh profession 200-yard rushing capacity moved him up of Adrian Peterson and OJ Simpson for nan astir successful NFL history.
His 36 carries represented a profession high.
The Ravens (8-8) now must dream nan AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers suffer astatine Cleveland connected Sunday. A Steelers triumph successful Cleveland would extremity Baltimore’s playoff hopes. If nan Browns triumph that game, nan Ravens could triumph nan AFC North by beating nan Steelers successful Pittsburgh connected 4 January.
Green Bay (9-6-1) mislaid their 3rd straight, enabling nan Chicago Bears to clinch nan NFC North title. The Packers already clinched a playoff berth connected Thursday erstwhile nan Detroit Lions mislaid 23-10 astatine Minnesota.
Both teams were missing their starting quarterbacks arsenic Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson deals pinch a backmost wounded while Green Bay’s Jordan Love is successful concussion protocol. The 2 replacement starters – Baltimore’s Tyler Huntley and Green Bay’s Malik Willis – were some effective successful a crippled that featured only 1 punt.
Willis went 18 of 21 for a career-high 288 yards and 1 touchdown, and he besides rushed for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns earlier leaving aft aggravating a enarthrosis wounded midway done nan 4th quarter. Huntley was 16 of 20 for 107 yards pinch 1 touchdown.
The quality successful nan crippled was Green Bay’s inability to slow down Henry, who helped nan Ravens outrush nan Packers 307-79.
Henry didn’t touch nan shot successful Baltimore’s last 2 bid past play arsenic nan Ravens blew an 11-point, 4th fourth successful a 28-24 nonaccomplishment to New England that put their playoff hopes connected life support. The seasoned moving back’s deficiency of fourth-quarter usage was a basking taxable astir Baltimore each week.
The Ravens made judge he sewage nan shot early and often Saturday. Henry’s power enabled nan Ravens to people connected their first 5 possessions and return a 27-14 halftime lead complete Green Bay, which hadn’t allowed much than 24 points successful 14 consecutive location games.
Henry totaled 15 carries successful Baltimore’s first 2 bid and capped each of them pinch touchdown runs, from 3 yards and 1 gait away. He was nan first subordinate to person astatine slightest 15 carries successful his team’s first 2 violative bid since Denver’s Olandis Gary against Green Bay successful 1999.
He added different three-yard touchdown pinch 10 seconds near successful nan 2nd quarter.
Green Bay sewage backmost into nan crippled by outscoring Baltimore 10-0 successful nan 3rd quarter.
After Brandon McManus kicked a 24-yard section goal, nan Packers forced nan first punt of nan night. Willis past ran astir correct extremity for an 11-yard touchdown to make it 27-24 pinch 2:02 near successful nan third.
But nan Ravens responded connected their adjacent series.
Henry ran for a nine-yard summation connected third-and-5 from Baltimore’s 20. He closed nan 3rd 4th pinch a 30-yard burst up nan correct sideline. Those 2 plays group up Huntley’s 10-yard touchdown walk to Zay Flowers, which came connected a third-and-8 play pinch 10:10 left.
Willis drove nan Packers into Baltimore territory earlier hurting his enarthrosis and heading to nan locker room. Clayton Tune took over, and his only walk was intercepted by Marlon Humphrey.
Houston Texans 20-16 Los Angeles Chargers
CJ Stroud threw for 2 agelong touchdowns connected Houston’s first 2 drives of nan game, and nan Texans went connected to hit nan Los Angeles Chargers 20-16 connected Saturday and clinch a 3rd consecutive playoff berth for nan first clip successful franchise history.
The Texans (11-5) won their eighth successful a row, their longest specified streak since winning 9 consecutive successful 2018.
The Chargers (11-5) had their four-game winning streak snapped and handed nan AFC West title to idle Denver. They hit nan first-place Broncos successful Week 3, but blew a chance to group up a winner-take-all showdown successful Denver successful Week 18.
The Chargers sewage knocked retired of nan playoffs successful a wildcard nonaccomplishment to Houston past season.
Stroud’s 2 explosive TDs stunned nan Chargers and gave Houston a 14-0 lead. On his first walk of nan game, he deed Jayden Higgins for a 75-yard people against busted coverage. Stroud wasn’t pressured erstwhile he threw a 43-yard TD to Jaylin Noel, who wasn’t covered.
The Chargers had allowed conscionable 1 TD walk of 40 aliases much yards successful their past 15 games.
Stroud completed his first six throws of nan game. He vanished 16 of 28 for 244 yards and 2 interceptions.
Houston’s defense forced third-down sacks of Justin Herbert connected nan Chargers’ first 2 possessions. They were three-and-out connected 3 of their first 4 possessions, quieting nan SoFi Stadium crowd.
Playing his 3rd crippled pinch a surgery near (non-throwing) hand, Herbert was 21 for 32 for 236 yards, pinch 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He was sacked 5 times.
Derwin James Jr intercepted Stroud successful nan 2nd quarter, but nan Chargers only managed a 27-yard section extremity by Cameron Dicker connected nan turnover to way 14-3. Another interception of Stroud grounded to nutrient immoderate points contempt some miscues coming successful Houston territory.
Herbert was intercepted by Azeez Al-Shaair astatine nan Houston 1-yard line. The ball, intended for Oronde Gadsden, popped disconnected his hands and Al-Shaair came down pinch it for his 2nd interception of nan season. Gadsden held his look successful his hands connected nan bench.
Dicker missed a section extremity from nether 40 yards for nan first clip successful his profession conscionable earlier halftime, leaving nan Chargers trailing 14-3. He later was wide near to miss his first constituent aft effort of nan play connected nan Chargers’ last thrust aft Omarion Hamption’s five-yard TD tally made it 20-16.
Ka’imi Fairbairn had section goals of 41 and 44 yards for Houston.
