Lamar Jackson's trip to Cincinnati started behind schedule, but he was one step ahead of the Bengals' defense the next day.
Jackson had arguably his best game in over a month in the Ravens' 24-0 win over the Bengals.
The Ravens' signal-caller was 15 minutes late for the Ravens' team flight on Saturday due to traffic, but if anything, his delay was a sign of good things to come in his mind.
Jackson threw just 12 passes in the shutout victory but made them count. He completed eight for 150 yards and two touchdowns, marking his first game with multiple touchdown passes since Week 9 against the Dolphins. His lone interception came on a drop that deflected off Zay Flowers' hands.
"I feel like every time I've been late, we've had good games," Jackson said with a grin. "⊠When I was late to the airport, I felt like it was going to be a good game. I didn't want to tell [the team] that, but the cat is out of the bag now."
Harbaugh said Jackson and several other players got stuck in traffic because the Secret Service shut down roads due to President Donald Trump attending the Army-Navy game Saturday afternoon.
No matter what, the Ravens weren't departing without their star quarterback.
"I knew he was going to get there. I knew the plane wasn't going to leave [without him]," Harbaugh said.
"We did have a dilemma, because the weather was coming in â there was a problem. If we didn't get in at a certain time, we were going to have to go to Louisville and bus up. So, you had to make a decision. Are we going to bus from Louisville and put Lamar on a plane?"
Jackson's stat line won't blow away any onlookers, but his experience proved vital in critical situations in a critical game.
In the second quarter, the two-time MVP zipped a sidearm throw to DeAndre Hopkins that turned into a 32-yard gain. Three plays later, Jackson made a check at the line to counter a Bengals blitz. With Bengals defensive end Myles Murphy closing in, Jackson tossed the ball to Rasheen Ali, who was wide open in the flat and went 30 yards to the house for his first career touchdown.
Jackson made the Bengals pay again on Baltimore's next possession with a sharp two-minute drive. Starting on his own 20-yard line, he orchestrated an 80-yard touchdown drive in just 42 seconds.
With 23 seconds remaining before halftime, Jackson delivered a 28-yard strike to Flowers, giving Baltimore a 14-0 lead heading into the locker room.
"[It was] just film study, and all of us working together," Jackson said of the two-minute drive. "We watch film and pay attention to what those guys were doing. [Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken] called a great [play] on the two-minute drill, and we just fired it off."
Battling knee, ankle, and toe injuries, Jackson hasn't had a full week of practice in five straight weeks. He's been adamant that those ailments haven't prohibited him from playing like himself, and he only reaffirmed that notion at the podium Sunday.
"I believe I told you guys early on in the week I was feeling better," Jackson said. "I guess you had to see it to believe it."
