Lamar Jackson admits to watching himself on the Jumbotron during his 79-yard TD run

BALTIMORE -- Before things went south in the 4th quarter, there was a lot to like about the Baltimore Ravens' home opener against the Miami Dolphins.

The game started out with a bang, a 103-yard kick return by Devin Duvernay. There were Lamar Jackson's three touchdown passes by halftime, to wide receiver Rashod Bateman, tight end Mark Andrews and wide receiver Demarcus Robinson.

Up 28-14 with about 40 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, Jackson carried the ball on 3rd and 2, found a nice  in the line and BOOM -- he was off.

All-Pro Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard gave chase, coming just short of a diving attempt to pull Jackson down by the ankles near his team's 10-yard line. Jackson then front-flipped into the end zone, capping a 79-yard run.

At a press conference Wednesday, Jackson said he caught a glimpse of himself on one of M&T Bank Stadium's RavensVision boards during the run. 

The speed of the video, which is different than in-game speed, causes you to slow down, he explained.

He then looked back and saw Howard was gaining on him.

"I'm like, 'Oh, I gotta make sure he don't tackle me,'" Jackson said.

But to all the Jackson haters out there, Howard's close pursuit is not a sign the record holder for most 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback has lost a step.

Jackson said had he been tackled, people would have remarked, "'Oh, he got slower' or something like that."

"I scored," Jackson emphasized with a smile. "That's all that matters."

As for everything that happened after that 79-yard scamper, for Ravens fans, it's better left unsaid.