Baltimore Ravens Advance to AFC Divisional Round with Win Over Steelers

The Baltimore Ravens kicked off their NFL playoff campaign with a 28-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, led by Lamar Jackson's efficient performance.

The Houston Texans shook off a slow start to dominate the Los Angeles Chargers 32-12 in the opening AFC wild card game of the NFL playoffs on Saturday. The Texans capitalized on a dismal performance by the Chargers, who committed numerous errors throughout the game.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert had a nightmare game, throwing four interceptions and being sacked four times. This was a far cry from his regular season performance, where he had thrown just three interceptions. The Chargers' offense was unable to recover from their mistakes, leading to a disappointing loss.

The game's momentum shifted in the Texans' favor with less than a minute left in the first half. Despite trailing by two field goals, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud sparked a turnaround when he recovered a fumbled snap and scrambled to throw a 34-yard pass to Xavier Hutchinson. This play marked a turning point in the game, as the Texans went on to score 23 unanswered points, securing a decisive victory.

On the next down, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud continued his momentum, connecting with Nico Collins on a 37-yard pass. He then capped off the drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Collins, shifting the game's momentum in the Texans' favor.

The Chargers' next possession ended in a punt, and Stroud led the Texans on a 45-yard drive, setting up Ka'imi Fairbairn for a 41-yard field goal. This gave the Texans a 10-6 lead at halftime. The Chargers' struggles would continue in the second half, as the Texans managed to overcome a 2nd and 40 situation, ultimately leading to another Fairbairn field goal.

The decisive moment came when Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was intercepted by Eric Murray, who returned the ball 38 yards for a touchdown, opening up a 14-point lead for the Texans. Herbert's woes continued on the next play, as he threw another interception, this time to Derek Stingley, who returned the ball to the LA 13-yard line. The Texans capitalized on this mistake with another field goal.

Despite Herbert's efforts to rally his team, disaster struck again for the Chargers. After finding Ladd McConkey for an 86-yard touchdown, the Chargers' point-after attempt was blocked. In a bizarre turn of events, the loose ball was recovered by D'Angelo Ross, who sprinted down to the end zone for two points, further padding the Texans' lead.

The Texans sealed their victory with a 17-yard rushing touchdown from running back Joe Mixon, who finished the game with 106 yards on the ground. This capped off a dominant performance by the Texans, who took advantage of the Chargers' mistakes to secure a decisive win.

The Baltimore Ravens kicked off their NFL playoff campaign with a 28-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday. Lamar Jackson led the charge with a brutally efficient performance, completing 16 of 21 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 82 yards, supplementing Derrick Henry's impressive 186 rushing yards.

Jackson's strong performance was a promising start to the playoffs, especially given his history of struggling in postseason games. Despite being a favorite to win his third regular-season Most Valuable Player award, Jackson has yet to make a significant impact in the playoffs. However, his two touchdown passes in the first half against the Steelers set the tone for the game.

The Ravens dominated the first half, with Henry adding a rushing score to put Baltimore up 21-0 at halftime. Their first possession was a 95-yard drive that ended with Jackson hitting Rashod Bateman with a 15-yard touchdown pass. A 13-play scoring drive followed, featuring all running plays, including an eight-yard touchdown by Henry. Jackson completed six straight passes on their final drive of the half, culminating in a five-yard scoring pass to Justice Hill with just two seconds left.

The Steelers finally got on the board in the third quarter when Russell Wilson hit Van Jefferson with a 30-yard scoring pass. However, the Ravens promptly responded with Henry powering 44 yards for a touchdown, extending their lead to 28-7. This decisive victory propelled the Ravens into the AFC divisional round, where they'll face either the Buffalo Bills or the Houston Texans.

The Steelers refused to give up, clawing back another touchdown minutes later. Quarterback Kenny Pickett's replacement, Mason Rudolph's backup, Josh Dobbs' replacement, Kenny Pickett's backup, Mason Rudolph's backup, Josh Dobbs' replacement.