Lamar Jackson has made a career out of disproving the theories of expert analysts concerning his ability and potential.
On Christmas night, the 2019 NFL MVP was lighting up the San Francisco 49ers to the tune of a 33-19 victory. After the biggest win of the season, Jackson shot back at the long list of experts and prognosticators and analysts who continue to doubt the NFL’s most lethal weapon.
With both teams entering the contest with 11-3 records, the 49ers were the far superior team in the court of public opinion, and Jackson responded with 252 passing yards, 45 rushing yards, two TDs and more highlight reel material.
Lamar Jackson Claps Back At Mike Florio
NFL analyst and talking head Mike Florio was very vocal in discrediting Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens prior to the whipping they dispensed, predicting last week that the Niners would “kick the sh– out of the Ravens” in Santa Clara.
With all of the opinions and talking heads and football shows in rotation, it’s interesting that Florio’s prediction caught the ear of Jackson who does a tremendous job of blocking out the noise.
While walking toward the Ravens’ locker room after the game, LJ8 could be overheard calling out Florio for his egregious prediction.
“Damn, Mike Flores! What was his name? Mike Flores?” said Jackson, seemingly referring to Florio’s comments.
Jackson further addressed Florio’s remarks with reporters after the game.
“You can’t just discredit us. We’re grown men, we’ve got to feed our families…That’s very disrespectful,” said Jackson.
“He needs to just keep doing his job, but don’t come off like that towards us. Because that’s disrespectful, like I said. Because he ain’t putting them pads on. If he were putting them pads on I feel like it’d be different for him. … We’re respectful to our opponents. Our opponents are respectful to us. But a guy who is not even playing against us gonna come out being disrespectful. I guess he wanted a little more views on his little channel. We’re gonna leave it at that.”
This was typical LJ8. The uniqueness of his game and the magnitude of his athletic prowess still has traditional football heads bewildered. He totally outplayed Brock Purdy, considered to be leading Lamar in the MVP race entering that showdown and continues to conquer narratives with a clearly improved passing approach and win games with a style that only he’s mastered.
Lamar Jackson Continues To Prove Haters Wrong
Jackson was seriously doubted as a rookie, despite being a Heisman winner with generational talent and entering the 2018 NFL draft, various prognosticators questioned his capacity to play pro quarterback and suggested a position change.
Related: Lamar Jackson’s Draft Night Exposes The Character Flaws Of The NFL (theshadowleague.com)
Jackson dropped to the bottom of the first round to John Harbaugh and the Ravens, truly an early Christmas gift for a franchise that was in transition at the position, with Super Bowl QB Joe Flacco aging out. Jackson was the fifth quarterback chosen after guys like Josh Rosen and Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Josh Allen.
Fast forward to 2024 and the disrespect is still in the air, but it’s definitely a faint whisper at this point. Rosen is out of the league, Mayfield has become a serviceable QB, but not befitting of his No. 1 overall billing. Darnold is a career backup, Allen is an All-Pro talent, but Jackson is better than all of them.
While Jackson’s performance was classic and the victory was Baltimore’s biggest of the season, it doesn’t answer all of the questions about his ability to execute with precision in the playoffs and lift Baltimore back to the promised land. So, for now, that chip on his shoulder is still serving the franchise well. That blowback about the mega contract he and his mom negotiated is in the rearview mirror as well. It’s clear he’s a bargain in comparison to what other quarterbacks who lack his impact are getting.
The only thing left for Jackson to do is stay mad and motivated and feeling disrespected until every box is checked and his status among the greatest quarterbacks our game has seen is cemented with a championship.
