Finally healthy and running hot, Ravens seek strong finish

BALTIMORE — The sight of Lamar Jackson racing toward the end zone on a 37-yard, fourth-down trek showed just how effective the Baltimore Ravens’ offense can be when their quarterback is the centerpiece of a multi-faceted running attack.

Jackson faked a handoff, broke slightly to his right and zipped through the middle of the Dallas defense to provide Baltimore with the first of its four touchdowns in a 34-17 victory Tuesday night. Jackson finished with 94 yards rushing and the Ravens rambled for 294 yards on the ground to snap a three-game skid and provide hope that the team can use the momentum to run all the way into the postseason.

“This is what we need, ” said rookie running back J.K. Dobbins, who rushed for 71 yards and a score. “I feel like we’re ready to go now.”

Jackson and Dobbins were among nearly two dozen players who rode the reserve/covid-19 list during a harrowing stretch that contributed heavily to Baltimore’s longest losing streak since the middle of the 2018 season.

The Ravens (7-5) appear to be on the road to recovery, although receiver Dez Bryant was pulled during warmups and missed the game after a positive test for the potentially deadly virus.

Regardless, Baltimore took care of business against the overmatched Cowboys behind a productive running game that conjured memories of last season, when Jackson earned MVP honors and the Ravens set an NFL record for yards rushing while finishing 14-2.

It’s going to take more of the same for Baltimore to soar past the other wild-card hopefuls, beginning Monday night in Cleveland (9-3).

“We’ve got all of our goals ahead of us, and for us to keep them there we have to keep winning,” said Gus Edwards, who amassed 101 yards on just seven carries against the Cowboys.

“We’ve just got to keep rocking,” Jackson said. “We’ve got four more to go.”