Lamar Jackson has 4 TDs as Ravens roll to 28-3 win over Browns and rookie QB Thompson-Robinson
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CLEVELAND — Baltimore was missing two receivers and its starting left tackle, later joined on the sideline by the starting right tackle. Its thin secondary was further depleted when two more defensive backs got hurt.
The Ravens were undermanned against the NFL’s top-ranked defense.
None of that mattered to Lamar Jackson.
Baltimore’s electrifying quarterback ran for two touchdowns, threw for two more and made Cleveland’s rebuilt defense look broken while leading the Ravens to a 28-3 win Sunday over the Browns, who played without injured quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Jackson scored untouched on runs of 10 yards and 2 yards, and he threaded a 7-yard scoring pass to tight end Mark Andrews with 11 seconds left before halftime as the Ravens (3-1) opened a 21-3 lead.
Jackson put an exclamation point on the blowout in the fourth quarter with an 18-yard TD pass to Andrews, sending the few diehard Cleveland fans who hung around hoping for a comeback toward the exits.
“Lamar is who he is because of who he is. He’s going to bring his full skill set to every game,” said Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who notched his 150th career win. “That’s what he’s going to do. That’s what he does. That’s why he is who he is.”
Baltimore took sole possession of first place in the AFC North.
The Browns (2-2) didn’t have Watson because of a right shoulder injury sustained last week and had to start rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The fifth-round pick from UCLA looked overmatched in his NFL debut.
Cleveland’s offense, already missing star running back Nick Chubb for the season with a knee injury, gained just 166 yards, 53 on a meaningless final drive. Thompson-Robinson threw three interceptions and was sacked four times.
“This organization, this team, everybody from the draft process on up has put their faith into me, especially being the No. 2,” Thompson-Robinson said. “Today is not what the picture of a No. 2 quarterback should look like.”
The Ravens had plenty of their own injuries and were missing six regulars, including receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman.
However, they still had Jackson, and he was more than enough.
Cleveland’s defense came in ranked No. 1 in virtually every major statistical category, but Jackson brought the Browns back to Earth.
He finished 15 of 19 for 187 yards passing, added 27 yards rushing and made several spectacular plays, none bigger than his first TD throw to Andrews — over several defenders — in the back corner of the end zone.
“With Lamar, when that first play breaks down, then you have that second play he makes,” said Justice Hill, who had 33 yards on three carries. “It’s just a special thing to watch.”
Watson injured his throwing shoulder last week on a running play in a win over Tennessee. It was the lone blemish in his best performance since arriving last year in a trade and serving an 11-game suspension.
“He wanted to go badly, but he just did not feel that he could go,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said of Watson. “He pushed himself. He tried. He did everything in his power to get ready, but just did not feel comfortable earlier this morning and didn’t feel like we could put him out there.”
And more bad news for Cleveland: Star defensive end Myles Garrett had his left foot in a protective boot after the game after getting hurt in the third quarter. He also was taken for X-rays.
Garrett, who was credited with one sack, got his foot awkwardly bent under him when he was trying to bring down Jackson.