Oct. 22 (UPI) — Lamar Jackson threw five touchdown passes and Derrick Henry steamrolled for 169 rushing yards to lead the Baltimore Ravens to a decisive Week 7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Ravens totaled 508 yards of offense in the 41-31 win Monday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The Buccaneers registered 481 total yards, but also lost wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans to injuries in the loss.
“It’s football,” Jackson told reporters. “I’m trying to win. That’s all that’s on my mind; I’m trying two win.”
The Ravens, who lost their first two games this season, are now on a five-game winning streak.
“We just made plays,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “We made a lot of plays. I want to work on all of the other things that are setting us back and keep building on the things that are moving us forward.”
The Buccaneers opened the scoring when quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Evans on the first drive of the night. Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin made a 23-yard field goal at the end of the quarter for a 10-0 advantage.
The Ravens then reeled off 34-unanswered points to snatch momentum. Jackson started that run with a 9-yard touchdown toss to tight end Mark Andrews about 2:30 into the second quarter.
He threw an 18-yard touchdown toss to running back Justice Hill on the Ravens’ next drive for a 14-10 lead. Kicker Justin Tucker made a 28-yard field goal less than five minutes later and the Ravens led 17-10 at the break.
Tucker made a 52-yard kick on the first drive of the second half. Jackson heaved a 49-yard touchdown pass two wide receiver Rashod Bateman about five minutes later for a 27-10 lead. He threw his second touchdown pass to Andrews on the next drive, giving the Ravens a 24-point edge through three quarters.
Mayfield answered with an 11-yard touchdown pass to running back Rachaad White 3:36 into the fourth quarter. But Jackson found Henry with a 13-yard touchdown toss with 6:32 remaining.
The desperate Buccaneers went on to score on their next two drives, converting on an onside kick in between the end zone visits, but could not close the deficit. White and fellow running back Bucky Irving found the end zone for their final two touchdowns.
The Buccaneers also lost Godwin to what appeared to be a serious ankle injury with about a minute remaining. Evans also left the game in the second quarter after aggravating a hamstring issue.
Coach Todd Bowles said Godwin’s ankle injury, which he believes is dislocated, “doesn’t look good.” He did not provide an update on Evans.
“We are going to be thinking about Chris and Mike for a while here, but we are going to have to move forward,” Mayfield said of the injuries to the Buccaneers’ key players. “This group is going to have to be resilient. We are going to have to have guys step up.
“That’s just the way it is. There is no other way around it. We are going to have to look this thing in the face and take it head on.”
Mayfield completed 31 of 45 passes for 370 yards, three scores and two interceptions in the loss. White totaled 111 yards from scrimmage and two scores on 16 touches. Tight end Cade Otton hauled in eight catches for 100 yards for the Buccaneers.
Henry totaled 182 yards from scrimmage and a score on 16 touches for the Ravens. Jackson completed 17 of 22 passes for 281 yards, including his five touchdown tosses. He also ran for 52 yards.
Bateman totaled 121 yards and a score on four catches. Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith totaled 18 combined tackles. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey intercepted Mayfield twice. Humphrey left the game early with a knee injury.
The Ravens (5-2) will take on the Cleveland Browns (1-6) in an AFC North divisional matchup at 1 p.m. EDT Sunday in Cleveland. The Buccaneers (4-3) will host the Atlanta Falcons at 1 p.m. Sunday in Tampa.
