Clint Lamb
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Saturday night marked another disappointing playoff performance by Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. After finally getting a postseason win against the Tennessee Titans last weekend, the team came out flat and lost 17-3 to the Buffalo Bills.
Think about this situation, though. The Bills won this game by two touchdowns. Yet, they only mustered up 220 total yards of offense and 17 points. Once again, think about that for a second. How bad did the Ravens have to be in order for that to happen?
Answer: really bad. And they were … or at least the offense and special teams were bad.
Once again, Jackson couldn’t get anything going through the air. He totaled 196 yards, and only 162 of them were passing yards. Last week, he was able to compensate with his legs. This week? Yeah, no. He averaged 3.8 yards per carry with no touchdowns and one costly pick-six.
He did have to leave on the ensuing drive due to a potential concussion, but the damage was done.
With the loss, that now puts last year’s MVP with a 1-3 record in the playoffs. Yes, some of Baltimore’s struggles fall on the shoulders of others.
For the first time in his career, kicker Justin Tucker missed two field goals of under 50 yards in the same game. Multiple snaps were off target from center Patrick Mekari too. Looking at things closely, it was a poor outing all around from the offense and special teams.
Jackson has his fair share of issues, though, and one of them is not being effective enough as a passer once the postseason hits.
Does he need more protection? Sure, losing the starting left tackle in Ronnie Stanley was a massive blow, and the interior of the offensive line was a major liability. Does he need more weapons? Well, Marquis Brown and Mark Andrews are solid, but a true No. 1 receiver is still needed, so yes.
But guys, Jackson and the Ravens won with this group in the regular season. They did the same thing last year, too. The production and success can’t stop once the playoff switch needs to be made. If that continues to be an issue, then we will eventually have to start discussing other options in Baltimore.
Clay had an interesting comparison in regards to Jackson. What do you think?
Lamar Jackson is the Russell Westbrook/James Harden of the NFL. Debate, discuss.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 17, 2021
Dominant in the regular season, but can’t get the job done in the playoffs. As much as Ravens fans don’t want to admit it, the comparison plays. And it’s time the franchise figured out a way to remedy the situation — one way or another.
Follow Clint Lamb on Twitter @ClintRLamb.
“LAMAR JACKSON KEEPS LEARNING, WINNING” – Clint Lamb
After such a glowing article making it seem like Lamar finally exorcised his playoff demons last week, here he is tonight making that article moot and reverting back to the postseason Lamar we all know he is. He got past the Titans due to his legs and highly questionable play calling from Vrabel. If he can’t run his way out of situations, he once again gets exposed for being a mediocre passer.
Meh – you could have lobbed the same criticism at Philip Rivers, Dan Fouts or Dan Marino. They never got a ring, either. But I doubt it was all on them – not unless you want to argue that Terry Bradshaw was a better QB than them.
Jackson was harried all day – his line gave him very little time to throw, and opened no running lanes.
That’s more coaching than bad QB play.
He quit on his team he ran to locker room with a concussion then saw him waving his arm in the tunnel he just quit
*sigh
Russell Westbrook and James Harden are entering their 11th and 12th season respectively.
Lamar just finished his 3rd. It’s a bogus comparison.
He had one (very) bad read during the times when his center wasn’t snapping the ball 20 yds behind him and Dobbins wasn’t repeatedly dropping the ball.
Agreed. Lamar’s only been in the league 3 years and already has 2 division titles, a playoff win, and an MVP. Pretty good for a guy who was considered a multi-year project coming into the draft. I would start to make the Westbrook comparison only if he had another 3-4 years of similar results
He’s been figured out. Another running QB that will be forgotten
The flaw in the Harden/Westbrook vs Lamar discussion is that the Ravens are the best team in football (aside from one position)…neither Harden nor Westbrook have ever had that luxury.
Lamar has to become a better passer and quickly. michael vick was better than Lamar and even he couldn’t make the constant running work. in fact the Ravens broke his leg in a preseason game and he was never quite the same running.
these super quick QB’s actually drop back too fast sometimes and often move from their spot too fast. Only Randall Cuningham was able to calm himself as a QB and hold back just a bit, so his guys can get open. steve young did this a bit too.
btw Cris Collingsworth sux – he must get paid based on how often he says lamar jackson.
Randall calmed down after his knees got blown out….
I would add that mobile QB’s, unless they end up with a coach in high school who can actually coach a passing offense, aren’t taught to read defenses. Due to the athletic ability its one read and hey if it ain’t there run no one can catch you. Then in college unless the coach is someone like Lincoln Riley who can use the athleticism to move around and make plays throwing/reading the defense it is more of the same. Lamar did the same thing in college, one read … run for a TD. Lamar is much more patient than an RGIII for example so let’s give him another year or two before we throw him to the trash.
Great points. Agreed, Chris. The catch 22 mobile QBs face is they trust their legs to escape pressure, but they trust their legs more than their arm. When you’re down two scores in the nfl you have to stay in the pocket and throw the ball accurately. When it’s 3rd and long, you might occasionally put up an amazing running highlight, but consistently making throws in those situations is what wins the big games.
I can’t stand Collinsworth either. He can’t make it through a broadcast without ripping the scab off the kneeling and social justice crap with some dumb soliloquy to make sure the woke nob knows he’s not a member of the KKK. He over-indulges in praise for Jackson for similar motives imo. Charles Davis should be in this spot.
Yes on Collinsworth. So lame.
Don’t put the groveling sports media on Jackson. Although, going into the game they all predicted the Bills were toast because on top of their great defense, epic rushing game they had a once in a generation talent at QB. Seems like the defense and rushing game did their bit.
John Harbaugh should ask his brother Jim about he combo of Greg Roman and once in a generational QB talent turns out. Seems like the Ravens are right on 49ers schedule…..
Lamar Jackson is what he is, a running QB with no accuracy. Bill Parcells said it best, “I don’t like celebrity quarterbacks. We don’t need those. We need battlefield commanders.
Well said. And in battlefield commanders there’s the strategy and thinking aspect of the game.
Bill Parcells said that? The more I see Bill Parcells quotes the more I like him as a coach.
My favorite was ‘the media are like communists…subverters from within’.
Just as with Russell Wilson, defenses have learned to rush to contain, not to sack, keeping them in the pocket where they are forced to throw.
When your the leading rusher on your team like last week you know that’s not a formula for long term success the QBs that win SB are not these running types fun to watch but history tells it like it is. If Michael Vick couldn’t win one this dude ain’t going to win one and Jackson was fortunate to land on a very good team out of the gate unlike some.
Good point. His draft status, which was perceived as a diss was actually a blessing. Jackson didn’t have to play the franchise savior and went to a great organization. Being a Giants fan who lived through Jerry Reese, I am completely in awe of Ozzie Newsome and the management org that he built. Baltimore hasn’t missed a beat without him.
I was thinking that Lamar could begin to turn the corner on his passing game, but I was clearly wrong. He is what he is, which means there will not be many playoff wins in the Raven’s future. Felling pretty dumb today!
He needs a big play receiver like Kenny Golladay, maybe a 1st round make the Lions trade him.
JMHO, when Jackson threw the interception, the look on his face summed it up. He still doesn’t have the maturity to shake it off in big games.
Okay….why does every man hate Collinsworth? I’m not kidding. I’ve not met a male fan yet who doesn’t hate on Chris. I think he has a great mastery of the game, explains things well, and keeps it interesting. Seriously? What’s the scoop?
Because Chris is a Jacksonsexual
I was fine with him until the last couple years when he started pandering to the woke. He has a section in every game now where he’ll stump for the nfl’s social justice agenda and continue to push the kneeling as something admirable. I’m sick of that during games, it’s time to turn the freakin page like 2 years ago, but guys like him won’t stop beating the dead horse.