After starting the season 0-2, the Baltimore Ravens were riding a six-game winning streak before suffering a horrible 29-24 loss to AFC North division rival Cleveland Browns. They also have two players in the thick of MVP race, with quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry ranking in the top five in recent polls.
In fact, Jackson, the reigning MVP, who’s won the coveted award twice, is the current front-runner to win it again. Jackson played solid in the loss with 289 yards passing and two TDs through the air. Unfortunately, the better QB was Saints back up Jameis Winston who put on an aerial display with 334 yards passing and three TDs.
Jackson came up a bit short again and didn’t make the plays when needed in crunch time. Similar to his shortcomings in the playoffs.
Jackson Has MVPs and No Super Bowls
While Jackson’s individual accolades are great, he and everyone else knows quarterbacks are judged by how many times they can hoist a Lombardi Trophy in their career.
For Jackson, unfortunately he hasn’t been able to reach a Super Bowl, and he has a 2-4 playoff record. In his defense, Jackson isn’t the only quarterback to not win a Super Bowl in the era of Patrick Mahomes, who has three Super Bowl wins and three Super Bowl MVP trophies. Only Tom Brady and Matt Stafford can stake claim to winning a Super Sunday game during this Mahomes run.
But for some reason he seems to be the most scrutinized of the bunch.
RG3 Calls Out Lamar Jackson Haters: The Double Standard Must Stop
Not everyone is criticizing Jackson. In fact, his former teammate and 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III is speaking up on behalf of Jackson. Griffin took to X, formerly known as Twitter to say this:
“Lamar Jackson has won 2 MVPs, and is the front runner for a 3rd right now. Yet, he constantly gets more heat about winning a Super Bowl than guys older than him who have 0 Rings and 0 MVP. Where’s the heat for those guys? It’s popular to judge Lamar differently for clicks, but the only new era QB to win a ring is Patrick Mahomes. Winning a Super Bowl is how all these QBs will be judged at the end of the day, but if you bringing those hot takes on Lamar winning 2 MVPs with no rings, you should be bringing takes hotter than hell for the others.”
Valid point by Griffin. Jackson shouldn’t be held to a higher standard than his counterparts such as Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and others. None of them have won the big game, and if we’re being fair, only Burrow has made it to the Super Bowl.
Jackson, however, can be criticized for being the only two-time MVP QB without a Super Bowl appearance. Eventually that’s got to change, or the criticism will be warranted.
Jackson Can Change Narrative With Big Playoff Run
Last season was the year most believed Jackson would breakthrough and get that elusive Super Bowl win. After a dominant regular season, Jackson was awarded his second MVP.
The Ravens looked primed to make a Super Sunday appearance only to have it come to a screeching halt in a heartbreaking 17-10 AFC Championship Game home loss to the aforementioned Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Jackson wasn’t anywhere near his best in that game, and he took a beating in the media for the loss. Now, with Derrick Henry in the backfield with him, this version of the Ravens could finally make that dream a reality and make a Super Sunday trip to New Orleans
Related: Lamar Jackson Finishes With Perfect QB Rating, Silences Critics, Throttles Dolphins and Secures MVP
The last time the Super Bowl was played in “The Big Easy,” the Ravens tasted victory.
Can Jackson make it happen again? He’s going to have to be more consistent in the Red Zone and make one more play than the next guy.
