Middlesbrough will face more difficult assignments in the run-in than the one that transpired at Ewood Park on Friday night, but their return to form in recent weeks has been stark. Such momentum could give them edge in the play-off race.
When I last saw Middlesbrough, reporting for BBC Radio 5 Live in the middle of February, I witnessed a team short of guile, with vulnerability in defence and no control in midfield.
That was their 3-1 defeat at Sheffield United amid a five-match losing run.
Against a toothless and beleaguered Blackburn side, this time, they exposed the vulnerabilities of their opponents with a ruthless start, scoring two goals inside the first eight minutes.