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          NFL Nation

          Lamar Jackson strong-arms Ravens to second straight AFC North crown

          • Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff WriterDec 13, 2019, 04:38 AM
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              Jamison Hensley is a reporter covering the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011, covering the AFC North before focusing exclusively on the Ravens beginning in 2013. Jamison won the National Sports Media Association Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018, and he authored a book titled: Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore Ravens. He was the Ravens beat writer for the Baltimore Sun from 2000-2011.
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          BALTIMORE -- On the night when Lamar Jackson broke Michael Vick's rushing record, he also made his mark with his arm.

          Jackson's five touchdown passes Thursday night led the Baltimore Ravens to a 42-21 rout of the New York Jets and clinched their second consecutive AFC North title.

          Jackson now has 33 touchdown passes this season, which ties a franchise single-season record and is seven more than anyone else in the NFL. He finished 15-of-23 for 212 yards for a 134.4 passer rating against the overmatched Jets (5-9).

          The Ravens (12-2) can clinch a first-round bye Sunday if either the Kansas City Chiefs lose to the Denver Broncos or the New England Patriots fall at the Cincinnati Bengals. Baltimore secures the No. 1 seed in the AFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs if the Chiefs lose or tie and the Patriots lose.

          Jackson carried the Ravens to their 10th straight win, the longest current streak in the NFL.

          This marked Jackson's seventh game this season with three or more touchdown passes, the most in the NFL. Jackson needs one more touchdown pass to break Vinny Testaverde's single-season team record, which has stood since the franchise's inaugural campaign, in 1996.

          The front-runner for NFL Most Valuable Player, Jackson recorded his third game with five touchdown throws this season. That's already more than all of the other quarterbacks in Ravens history combined. Jackson is also one shy of tying Peyton Manning (2004) for most games with five touchdown passes in a season.

          Troubling trend: Struggles on special teams. Justin Tucker missed the third extra point of his stellar career, Sam Koch saw a punt blocked and the coverage team had lapses. Baltimore traditionally has one of the best special-teams units, but this was one of its worst all-around games.

          Pivotal play: OK, technically, there were really no pivotal plays in a rout. But there was a moment that stood out among the rest. Jackson took charge late in the third quarter, when Baltimore faced fourth-and-1 at its own 29-yard line. Upset that the Ravens didn't go for it earlier that quarter, Jackson motioned with his arms for the punt team to stay on the sideline this time. He converted with a 36-yard pass to tight end Mark Andrews, extending a drive that ended with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Seth Roberts.

          Eye-popping NextGen Stat: In the third quarter, Jackson and Marquise Brown connected for their third deep touchdown this season. Brown had 8.3 yards of separation when the pass arrived, taking advantage of a Jets team without Jamal Adams (cornerback Darryl Roberts was aligned at safety on the play).