Anthony Mitchell could sense that his son Keaton was about to do something big, and he has the receipts to prove it.

A former defensive back for the Ravens who made one of the most memorable plays in franchise history when he returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in a 2001 AFC divisional round playoff game against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville en route to an eventual Super Bowl title, Anthony Mitchell was watching Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks from his home in suburban Atlanta. He had no idea the youngest of his two sons was going to play after the running back recently worked his way back from a hamstring injury, or else he might’ve traveled to Baltimore for the occasion.

But a little more than halfway through the second quarter, Mitchell, a speedy undrafted rookie out of East Carolina who ran a 4.37 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine, was up to four carries for 37 yards. Keaton Mitchell was the Ravens’ second-leading rusher at that point and the text messages were flying on a group chat between Anthony Mitchell and a string of family and friends, and the father wrote back that his son might break a long one.

He’d have to wait another quarter, but it happened.

On a second-and-5 from the Seahawks’ 40 with under a minute to go in the third, Mitchell took a handoff from Lamar Jackson in the shotgun, zoomed past edge rusher Boye Mafe, past sprawling defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. and through the hole created on the left side by the blocks of left guard John Simpson and center Tyler Linderbaum. By the time cornerback Riq Woolen, safety Jamal Adams and linebacker Jordyn Brooks surrounded Mitchell, it was too late. He raced past them all untouched to his first NFL touchdown.

“If you watch any of his games [in college], if he had two good runs on his first two carries, he usually pops one over 50 yards for a touchdown,” Anthony Mitchell told The Baltimore Sun on Sunday night. “It showed the line is giving him creases, and that’s all he needs.”

One of Anthony Mitchell’s friends on the text chain had drafted Keaton Mitchell for his fantasy team. It paid off in a big way, with the 21-year-old also ripping off a 60-yarder on his way to a game-high 138 yards on nine carries.

Just how good was the performance? According to Next Gen Stats, the expected yards on Mitchell’s touchdown run was just 5. He also hit 20.99 mph, the fastest of any Ravens ball carrier this season. In all, he was plus-108 yards over expected for the day, the most a running back has gained in a single game since Week 10 in 2020 when then-Buccaneers back Ronald Jones had plus-110 yards over expected.

Still, there were times when the 5-foot-8, 191-pound running back was down on himself — about not getting drafted despite racking up 3,027 yards and 25 touchdowns along with 60 catches for 580 yards and three scores in three seasons at East Carolina, and about not seeing the field.

A shoulder injury during the preseason led to being placed on injured reserve to start the regular season, and Mitchell didn’t return until Week 7 against the Tennessee Titans in London. Even then, he played only on special teams in his debut, logging 17 snaps in kick coverage. The following week against the Detroit Lions, he flashed his elusiveness and speed, taking a short pass from Jackson and turning it into a 9-yard burst. But he tweaked his hamstring and was inactive for the next game against the Cardinals in Arizona.

“Of course he was disappointed over the draft, but [Sunday’s performance] means a lot because he could show people what he could do,” Anthony Mitchell told The Sun. “Of course he got a little frustrated [in Baltimore] because he wanted to play. But he understands this is a long-term goal, not a short-term one. You come back one game then get hurt the rest of the season, that’s not what we’re looking for.

“But we talk about control what you can control. When he went to college, they told him [as a freshman] he would be the No. 1 back but was fourth on the depth chart in his first game. He’s always been in this position. His mindset doesn’t change: put your foot on their throat. He’s gonna compete.”

And play, according to coach John Harbaugh, who said Monday that Mitchell will be part of a three-back rotation, along with Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, going forward.

“Those three backs are going to be all playing,” Harbaugh said. “I’m sure there will be a rotation. Sometimes it’s by a certain scheme, sometimes it’s by who’s hot, sometimes it’s by who’s tired.”

That last point is why one piece of advice that Anthony Mitchell, who will be in attendance for the Ravens’ Thursday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 11, gave his son is to take care of his body and lay off the video games until after the season.

Keaton Mitchell, meanwhile, just continues to be excited about the opportunity ahead of him and grateful for the one he’s been given.

“It was a blessing, man,” he said after his breakout performance on Sunday. “The guys keep my head up every day. They believe in me, and it’s just like a family in that locker room, so I just appreciate everybody in there [for] believing in me, trusting me and just being proud of the game I had.”

()