Lamar Jackson Says Ravens Clinching Playoff Berth Is 'Just the Beginning'

The Baltimore Ravens rewrote the narrative on their 2020 season over the past few weeks, and quarterback Lamar Jackson believes it's all just a prologue to something bigger.

After a 6-5 start, the Ravens won their next five games to clinch a postseason berth for the third straight year. A 38-3 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday showed Baltimore is playing its best football at the most important time of the year.

"We still got things that we want to finish," Jackson told reporters afterward. "It's just the beginning for us, to be honest with you."

Sunday's victory sets the Ravens up for a rematch with the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card Round. The Titans stunned Baltimore at home during the divisional round last year with a 28-12 victory that knocked out one of the league's best teams.

There was no question the Ravens weren't even close to playing at the same level to begin the 2020 season as they proved capable of last year. At least until recently, when the version of Baltimore that looks like it could challenge for a Super Bowl began to show itself.

"People doubted us throughout the season because we weren't having the season we had last year," Jackson said. "Our team fought through that, and we showed the world that we're here to play."

Jackson became the first quarterback in NFL history with multiple seasons of 1,000-plus rushing yards, while the Ravens gained 525 yards total against the Bengals—404 of which came on the ground, allowing the team to finish with the best rushing offense in the league (177.8 yards per game).

The Titans finished with the No. 2 ground game in the league (160.1 yards per game) thanks to a 2,000-yard season from Derrick Henry. Now the two are set to test each other head-to-head once again after Tennessee pulled off a 30-24 victory over the Ravens earlier this year.

Another matchup is sure to highlight the opening round of the postseason, but the Ravens are already setting their minds on playing until February.

"It's a bunch of guys that are happy, but we're still hungry," running back J.K. Dobbins said. "We're glad to get this win to get in. But we know what the ultimate goal is. That's what's on our minds right now."