The first half of the Baltimore Ravens’ 37-26 win over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, had me harkening back to the first round of Marvin Hagler vs. Tommy Hearns for the middleweight title back in 1985.

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Both teams fought to a draw, complete with some vicious body blows and head shots before heading into the locker room to regroup for the second half.

There were some troubling signs early on for Baltimore, specifically from a shaky offensive line that gave up four sacks in the first two quarters, with quarterback Lamar Jackson under constant pressure.

Three of those sacks were by Patriots defensive lineman Deatrich Wise, who was kicking some serious butt, like Bruce Lee in Enter The Dragon, against whomever he lined up against.

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Early in the third quarter, with the Ravens holding a one-point lead, New England’s talented second-year QB Mac Jones and wide receiver DeVante Parker conjured up some residual Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from last week’s shocking loss to the Dolphins.

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Parker repeatedly burned the Baltimore secondary for big gains, with Jones unleashing some beautiful throws that caught him perfectly in stride. The Ravens had no answer for Parker, who averaged 31.2 yards per catch and finished with five catches for 156 yards.

Jones looked like a seasoned vet on that opening drive of the second half, directing a seven-play, 75-yard drive that put New England up 20-14 after Damien Harris’ 2-yard touchdown run.

But Jackson, aka Michael Jordan in cleats, decided to take matters into his own hands, ensuring that his team secured this much-needed victory before the Ravens play host to the Buffalo Bills, fellow AFC Super Bowl contenders, in one of the early season’s most highly anticipated matchups next week.

Jackson served notice like Carlito Brigante in Carlito’s Way, when he declared, “You ready? Here comes the pain!”

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He swiftly responded by engineering his own 75-yard drive that culminated in his one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Josh Oliver. On the ensuing Ravens possession he proceeded to boogie on the New England defense like another fleet-footed Jackson, Michael, right before he left his brothers to go solo.

His 38-yard scamper was the highlight of the drive, which ended with his four-yard TD toss to Devin Duvernay.

But the Patriots kept swinging back. When running back Rhamondre Stevenson scored on a one-yard run, the game’s outcome was still in doubt with Baltimore holding a teetering 31-26 lead.

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When the official body count was tabulated, Jackson delivered the next signature performance of his brilliant young career, completing 18 of his 29 passing attempts for four touchdowns, while also rushing the ball 11 times for 107 yards and another score. Tight end Mark Andrews caught eight of those balls for 89 yards and two TDs.

Despite his heroics, the outcome was not settled until the much-maligned defense decided to make a statement of its own.

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With New England threatening to take the lead and Mac Jones getting busy like Goldie in The Mack, Marlon Humphrey intercepted Jones’ end zone pass that was intended for DeVante Parker.

Unable to capitalize, the Ravens were forced to punt. Things got scary when Jones found Nelson Ahgolor for a 30-yard gain before Kyle Hamilton, the gifted All-American rookie safety out of Notre Dame, reminded everyone why the Ravens took him in the first round. Hamilton hustled to chase Ahgolor down from behind and strip him of the ball, which was recovered by Marcus Peters with 5:45 left in the game.

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Jackson put the exclamation point on the victory by leading the offense on a 73-yard drive that was punctuated by his 9-yard touchdown run with a little more than two minutes left on the clock.

Baltimore’s anemic running game was given a boost by the return of J.K. Dobbins, who showed flashes of the promise he exhibited as a rookie in 2020 before being forced to sit out all last season because of a devastating knee injury.

Justice Hill looked like he’d been shot out of a canon, carrying the ball six times for 60 yards.

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But the one concerning aspect of the win, as the Ravens prepare to play the Bills next week, is the status of the most important position on the offensive line: left tackle.

The starter, Ronnie Stanley, remains sidelined with a severe ankle injury that dates to last year. His backup, Patrick Mekari, injured his ankle on the first series and had to be replaced.

The last thing the Ravens want is a fourth-stringer protecting Action Jackson’s blind side. But the good thing is that with his splendiferous talents, even if Manute Bol was playing left tackle, Lamar would still find ways to shock and amaze.

You just get that magical feeling that whenever he’s needed the most, no matter how dark the stormy clouds may look on the horizon, Lamar Jackson will be there to make the sun shine.

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alejandro.danois@thebaltimorebanner.com

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Alejandro Danois was a sports writer for The Banner. He specializes in long-form storytelling, looking at society through the prism of sports and its larger connections with the greater cultural milieu. The author of The Boys of Dunbar, A Story of Love, Hope and Basketball, he is also a film producer and cultural critic. 

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