Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson had the worst outing of his professional career this past Sunday.
Jackson was able to muster up enough dynamic athleticism to pull out a 16-10 win over the depleted Cleveland Browns, but he produced one of the worst games of his career, going 20 of 32 for 165 yards with one touchdown and four hideous interceptions.
That was the first four-interception game of his career. He owes his defense and the ineptitude of Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield a huge thank you for bailing him out.
This game keeps on getting crazier by the drive..4 INT for Lamar 💀#RavensFlock #Browns #lamarjackson #johnjohnson pic.twitter.com/rz2PrtVjk9
— Up The Score Podcast (@OfficialUTSPod) November 29, 2021
Jackson’s Houdini act worked again and the Ravens have the best record in the AFC (8-3), but dominance is not a word one would associate with John Harbaugh’s squad. They always seem to be one bad Lamar Jackson play from losing and one incredible play by Jackson from winning.
In other words, they are very delicately structured and overly reliant on Jackson, who is still very inconsistent in the passing game. Following the performance and film study, Jackson’s self-evaluation was harsh but accurate, unlike most of his passes on Sunday night.
“Bad passes and inaccurate, under thrown passes — that’s all I’ve seen. Bad reads, I looked like a rookie,” Jackson said.
Lamar Jackson has thrown 4 interceptions in one game for the first time in his NFL career. pic.twitter.com/tI5ZOSGn7I
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 29, 2021
Pittsburgh Steelers Have More To Lose
Jackson can’t afford to look like a rookie on Sunday against a 5-5-1 Steelers team that is playing for their playoff lives. Head coach Mike Tomlin also has a lot at stake this weekend. The Super Bowl-winning coach is trying to avoid the first losing season of his illustrious career.
Dropping below .500 would leave the Steelers in a tough spot. With games against the Vikings, Titans, Chiefs and another with the Ravens looming (combined record of 28-17), Pittsburgh desperately needs this game
Maybe it’s an overreaction and Jackson will have an historic game on Sunday. Who’d be surprised. Jackson’s bounce-back ability is well known.
Former Ravens And Current NFL Analyst Bart Scott Defends Jackson’s Play
It’s no secret that former Ravens star Bart Scott is Jackson’s No. 1 supporter in the national sports media. Scott expects Jackson to rebound and even went as far as to call “LJ8” the top quarterback in the NFL.
During an October appearance on “First Take,” Scott uttered these exact words.
“He’s the best show in town.”
.@BartScott57 no longer believes Patrick Mahomes is the best QB in the NFL 👀
"The best QB in the league is Lamar Jackson." pic.twitter.com/KHzKTM1HVZ
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 13, 2021
“Lamar Jackson’s more responsible for the productivity than any one of these other quarterbacks. Not only is he their best running back, but he’s also the best thrower of the ball. What Lamar Jackson is forced to do is more than what anyone else is asked to do.”
This week, Scott was defending Jackson after his four-pick win, running off a list of impressive statistics that magnify the Baltimore Ravens’ reliance on LJ8. Jackson surely wasn’t the best thrower of the ball on Sunday, but that didn’t change Scott’s tune one bit.
Scott is a Jackson apologist and defended his performance on Sunday, saying he’s still the most dynamic and comes through in crunch time. He even had Jackson third on his top five MVP list prior to Jackson missing the Bears game with an illness.
The top 5 MVP candidates per @BartScott57:
1. Aaron Rodgers
2. Dak Prescott
3. Lamar Jackson
4. Tom Brady
5. Josh AllenIs he right? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/B0rm8bMBv5
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) November 19, 2021
Jackson’s Dynamic Without A Doubt, But These Things Must Happen For Him To Win A Super Bowl
Jackson has thrown a career-high 12 interceptions this season, and seven have come in the middle of the field. That used to be his safe haven, but this year it’s been a death trap for him, a Bermuda Triangle of sorts.
For the Ravens to have a lengthy playoff run Jackson has to be better, as teams will look to take away his strengths and make him prove he can beat them in other ways.
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