Lamar Jackson Dominant as Ravens Rally to Beat Baker Mayfield, Browns

The Cleveland Browns held Lamar Jackson in check for nearly an entire half of football.

It wasn't nearly long enough. 

Jackson threw his first two of three touchdowns with under two minutes remaining in the first half on his way to leading the Ravens to a 31-15 win over the Browns on Sunday.

The (likely) future MVP connected with Mark Andrews on two scores to help the Ravens clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. 

The Browns, once again struggling with discipline and lacking in big plays through the air, clinched their 12th straight losing campaign. They have had just one winning season since returning to the NFL in 1999 after the franchise moved to Baltimore.

Notable Stats

Ravens

QB Lamar Jackson: 20-of-31, 238 YDS, 3 TD (17 CAR, 103 YDS)

RB Mark Ingram II: 12 CAR, 66 YDS (2 REC, 36 YDS, 1 TD)

TE Mark Andrews: 6 REC, 93 YDS, 2 TD

Browns

QB Baker Mayfield: 20-of-33, 192 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT

RB Nick Chubb: 15 CAR, 45 YDS

WR Jarvis Landry: 7 REC, 74 YDS

WR Odell Beckham Jr.: 4 REC, 44 YDS, 1 TD

There Aren't Enough Superlatives in the World for Lamar Jackson

This may be the single most brilliant single-season performance by a player in NFL history. Better than Peyton Manning resetting the NFL passing record books in 2013. Better than Calvin Johnson nearly putting up 2,000 receiving yards in 2012. Better than Eric Dickerson's 1984 and Lawrence Taylor's 1986 and Yours Truly's 1973.

Jackson is an offensive ecosystem all of his own making. The ball is in his hands, every play, every possession with 11 eyes glaring at him and unable to do anything to stop him. This is some 2012 LeBron James against the Celtics level of pure domination, week in, week out.

For as much as we've become accustomed to an offensive revolution in football, this season has been decidedly not that. About half of the NFL has to take a deep breath, close their eyes and hope every time their quarterback drops back to pass. Tom Brady appears on his last legs. Saquon Barkley's disappointed; Alvin Kamara's disappointed; Odell Beckham's disappointed.

The average fan has watched an inordinate amount of Jameis Winston playing football just because we know something is going to happen every time he drops back, brilliant or mind-numbingly horrible. Jackson is like Good Jameis mixed with Michael Vick on every single play. Every second is captivating and every second is awesome, and it's unlike anything we've seen over a full season in league history.

Jackson makes 260-pound men who run 4.5 40s look like they have cement blocks attached to their ankles on a weekly basis. The mere threat of play action freezes All-Pro defensive backs and opens up gulfs in the secondary, and Jackson's nailing about two-thirds of his passes—an improvement that not even his biggest critics can ignore.

Vick and Robert Griffin III came close to captivating like this on a weekly basis, and Cam Newton's 2015 was nearly as singularly dominant. But the most fun player in football is also the best, so we should enjoy it while it lasts. 

Freddie Kitchens Hasn't Earned Season 2 in Cleveland

"

Odell and Freddie Kitchens  pic.twitter.com/ucuIP646s7

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 22, 2019"

NFL coaches get fired for underperforming expectations. NFL coaches get fired when their team is undisciplined. NFL coaches get fired when they fail to develop young stars. NFL coaches get fired when they don't get along with star players.

Freddie Kitchens has hit for the cycle in one season in Cleveland.

While the decision whether to bring him back ultimately goes far above our pay grade, it's hard to find any justification. The Browns have clinched having a worse record than last season despite adding a mess of talent in the offseason that made them preseason division favorites.

It was Baker Mayfield, not Jackson, expected to enter the MVP conversation. Instead, Mayfield looks closer to joining a long list of Browns quarterback busts than being the answer at the position. He has been both turnover-prone and checkdown-heavy, the absolute worst possible combination under center. At least Winston mixes in brilliance with his befuddling interceptions.

Landry and Beckham went out of their way to deny they want out of Cleveland, but the best bros don't exactly appear enthused by their current coach. A week after Landry and Kitchens got into a shouting match, Beckham was in his coach's ear on the sidelines. 

This team is a top-to-bottom mess and the NFL's biggest disappointment of 2019. The Browns deserve credit for rolling the dice on Kitchens and trusting their gut; the future of their franchise may hinge on an ability to admit they were wrong. 

What's Next?

The Ravens host the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Browns close up with the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday.