Jamison Hensley, ESPN Personnel Scribbler
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Upcoming the Baltimore Ravens clinched the AFC’s Deny. 1 seed on Unutilized Week’s Eve, avid gamers joyfully honored the season via taking team footage week protecting a newspaper whose headline learn “AFC’s Best.” They let let fall within the depot room via dancing in the course of the ground, the place even teacher John Harbaugh confirmed off his strikes.
Amid the celebratory chaos, quarterback Lamar Jackson slightly cracked a grin. He dapped up teammates with a stoic glance on his face, which has develop into his familiar postgame demeanor this season.
“We’ve got more to do,” he instructed them.
Jackson understands he’s coming into his proving garden — a postseason that may both alternate the narrative from his first six seasons within the NFL or proceed to underscore his maximum mentioned shortcoming.
Few quarterbacks have ruled within the steady season and next disillusioned within the postseason like Jackson. At 27, he’s in layout to develop into the youngest two-time NFL Maximum Significance Participant for the reason that merger (edging the Kansas Town Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes via simply over 9 months), and he’s gained extra regular-season video games (58) than any quarterback at his future.
However Jackson has struggled on the most crucial a part of the season, going 1-3 within the playoffs with 4 overall touchdowns and 7 handovers. The one quarterback to win greater than 50 video games in his first six seasons and feature fewer postseason victories is Andy Dalton (0-4).
When the Ravens host the Houston Texans within the divisional around Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN), Jackson starts essentially the most notable stretch of his occupation.
“Lamar’s always had a single-minded focus, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it quite like this,” Harbaugh mentioned. “He’s been that way since the offseason when we talked, since he came to OTAs [organized team activities], since training camp, [he’s been] one day at a time, locked in. That’s kind of how he’s approached it. It’s been reflected in how he’s practiced and how he’s played.”
Jackson has necessarily gotten the whole lot he sought after over the presen yr, even though it wasn’t nice-looking in the beginning. Upcoming a prolonged standoff that featured Jackson requesting a industry and the Ravens granting him permission to hunt one, the perimeters got here in combination on a five-year, $260 million word of honour that made him probably the most highest-paid avid gamers in league historical past. He were given a playcaller in offensive coordinator Todd Monken to support him raise his passing sport. He won an stepped forward supporting solid at vast receiver — together with first-round pick out Zay Flowers and independent agent Odell Beckham Jr. — to reduce the load on his shoulders.
The ultimate unchecked field is hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which isn’t misplaced on any person round Jackson.
WHEN JACKSON DISCUSSES an adjustment on a path, Beckham is aware of how the debate is most likely going to finish.
“I’m trying to win a Bowl,” Jackson tells him.
When Jackson hangs out with teammates, offensive take on Ronnie Stanley is aware of it’s just a topic of pace earlier than Jackson blurts it out.
“I just want a Super Bowl,” Jackson says.
Within the practices prominent as much as the 56-19 victory over the Miami Dolphins, Jackson instructed teammates: “Make it to February.”
“He won’t be satisfied until we get a Super Bowl,” Stanley mentioned, “so I know what I’m getting in my quarterback.”
Jackson’s former quarterbacks teacher, James City, as soon as described Jackson’s fixation with the Tremendous Bowl as an obsession. Others see it extra as a private challenge.
“I don’t think Lamar feels that it’s his way to shut the haters up,” mentioned Robert Griffin III, an ESPN analyst who was once a Ravens alternative quarterback for the primary 3 seasons of Jackson’s occupation. “I think it’s his way to say ‘I told you so.’ It’s more self-validation than it is to rub in the face of his haters.
“Do you need me to play games receiver? I instructed you I used to be a quarterback. You need to name me a operating again? I instructed you I used to be a quarterback. You need to mention I shouldn’t were drafted within the supremacy 10 or been the primary pick out, I instructed you I used to be going to deliver them a Tremendous Bowl.”
The previous time Jackson led Baltimore to a No. 1 seed, the rallying cry was “Weighty truss.” This year, Jackson’s mantra is “Locked in.”
Jackson has gained a different appreciation for the opportunity after missing the past two postseasons with season-ending injuries. He’s also played his best against the best, recording 10 victories against teams that finished with winning records — the most by a quarterback in a single season since at least 2000.
The changes in Jackson captured the attention of Hall of Fame middle linebacker Ray Lewis, the only player who was on the Ravens’ two Super Bowl championship teams.
“I’m placing all my chips on 8,” Lewis said when asked if Jackson can win a Super Bowl. “I’m gazing his adulthood, I’m gazing his endurance within the patch.
“But I’ll also tell you: 8 has a different look in his eye.”
IN JANUARY 2021, the ultimate pace Jackson performed in a postseason sport, he did one thing he had by no means completed earlier than.
Upcoming staring ailing tight finish Mark Andrews, Jackson was once picked off within the pink zone for the primary pace in his 41-start occupation. Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson returned Jackson’s interception 101 yards for a landing in a 17-3 loss at Buffalo.
That is essentially the most puzzling side of Jackson’s occupation. Within the steady season, Jackson’s 65.0 Overall QBR is the 7th best possible within the NFL since 2018. Within the playoffs, his 41.5 QBR is the second one worst amongst quarterbacks with a couple of postseason begins over that very same span — topping handiest Mitchell Trubisky.
This season has been rather other. When Jackson was once a unanimous-choice MVP in 2019, he led the NFL in landing passes (36) and penniless the dashing report for QBs (1,206). This yr, he’s out of doors the supremacy 10 in passing yards (3,678 was once fifteenth) and TD passes (24 was once eleventh). He additionally didn’t hasten for 1,000 yards (821). But the Ravens (13-4) had their second-highest win overall.
“The fact that they’ve been able to win with some of the numbers he’s put up,” Griffin defined, “that to me is Lamar saying, ‘I’m OK with managing this game if I have to. I don’t need to run for 100 or throw for 300. If I throw for 150 and run for 20 and we win the game, that’s all that matters.
“That’s the place he’s had the most important expansion. He now understands that every so often the dynamic play games is taking the checkdown. On occasion the dynamic play games is throwing the ball away, residing to combat every other generation.”
Jackson knew he needed better targets in the passing game. According to Griffin, Jackson remarked a few years ago how there was a clear difference when throwing the ball to the likes of Keenan Allen in the Pro Bowl. This past offseason, Jackson asked Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta if the team could add free agents Beckham or DeAndre Hopkins, and Baltimore responded by signing Beckham to a one-year, $15 million deal.
During past postseasons, Jackson primarily threw to Marquise Brown, Willie Snead IV and Miles Boykin. Now, he’s passing the ball to Beckham, Plants, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor, all of whom had been first-round selections.
“Oh, Lamar can’t win within the playoffs. Oh, Lamar handiest were given one playoff win. OK, superb,” Lewis said. “However perhaps we didn’t have a excellent plethora crew to advance forward and do this.
“That’s why I think as his big brother, I’m throwing him the advice, ‘Bro, we must win. Not Lamar must win.'”
JACKSON HAS NEVER seemed extra relaxed in an offense, and it may be traced again to this offseason with a textual content from Monken.
“I’m going to give you the keys to the offense. It’s up to you to make certain decisions at the line. If you don’t like it, put us in a better situation, but if you mess up, it’s going to be on you.”
Within the win over the Dolphins, Jackson mentioned he made a test on the layout nearest sight guy protection and delivered a 33-yard cross to Beckham, who made a memorable catch alongside the fitting sideline.
“He can make you pay with his legs, he can make you pay with his arms, he can make you pay with his mind,” Los Angeles Rams teacher Sean McVay mentioned. “And so you’re seeing all of that stuff show up, and that’s what makes him one of the best and one of the most difficult to defend, without a doubt.”
Jackson produced occupation bests with 3,678 passing yards and a 67.2% finishing touch fee this season. Plus, he led all quarterbacks with 821 yards dashing for a league-high 5.5 yards consistent with convey.
Within the presen, Jackson would get going and run if his first couple of reads weren’t unhidden. This season, he’s simply as elusive, however he’s staying within the patch.
Monken likes to name him a “two-play quarterback.” Defenses can do the whole lot proper to cancel the latest play games, however next Jackson forces them to cover him going off-script. When given 5 seconds to throw, Jackson has the most productive finishing touch fee (56.3%), connecting on 18 of 32 of the ones passes for 294 yards, 3 touchdowns and disagree interceptions.
Latter occasion towards the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jackson escaped the clutches of defensive finish Dawuane Smoot and tossed a cross-body cross to tight finish Isaiah Likely, who outjumped two defenders for a 26-yard catch. Requested what he was once considering when Jackson made the throw, Monken mentioned, “Holy s—“
“Expect the unexpected, I guess,” Monken mentioned. “He has a unique ability to see the field and a unique ability to make plays off schedule.”
LAST MONTH AGAINST Miami, the Ravens held a 28-13 supremacy towards the tip of halftime and Jackson noticed some teammates celebrating excess at the sideline.
“Y’all calm the f— down,” Jackson yelled at them. “We got to stay locked in.”
Teammates have spotted a extra vocal Jackson since he signed his unused word of honour 8 months in the past. He’s extra keen to talk in crew huddles. He’s now telling suffering teammates that they wish to play games higher. And he’s going to put together certain everybody is concentrated at the sideline, it doesn’t matter what the rating is.
When teammates describe what Jackson is like all through video games, he isn’t happy when the Ravens kick a ground function. He desires a landing. And when Baltimore rankings a landing, Jackson goes to the sideline speaking about scoring every other landing at the then force.
“Even when we win, he’s not happy about the fashion, at times,” quarterbacks teacher Tee Martin mentioned. “He knows the capability [of the team], knows how good we can be and how far we can go — and he’s not stopping until we get to that point.”
Jackson established his function the generation he was once drafted with the ultimate pick out of the primary around on April 26, 2018, when he mentioned: “They’re going to get a Super Bowl out of me. Believe that.”
He nearest mentioned chasing Tom Brady’s seven rings, which is why Griffin can are expecting Jackson’s mindset if he finally ends up hoisting the Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.
“He will soak it in that moment, and he’ll appreciate it,” Griffin mentioned. “But I think as soon as it’s over, he’ll be right back saying the same thing: Super Bowl.
“He desires to be the best of all pace.”
