Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens quarterback, was so furious after throwing an interception in the end zone in the fourth quarter that he pulled off his helmet with both hands and smashed it to the ground while marching to the sideline.
Another promising season for the likely NFL Most Valuable Player came to an end in the playoffs.
Jackson and the Ravens, the AFC’s top seed, failed to move the ball and committed three turnovers in Sunday’s 17-10 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. The setback reduces Jackson’s playoff record to 2-4.
“I’m not frustrated at all,” Jackson said. “I’m upset because I lost. We are one game away from the Super Bowl. We’ve been waiting for this chance for a long time, and we came up short. But I believe our club will improve this summer, get right, push harder, and aim to be in this situation again — but on the opposite side of victory.”
Jackson seemed unbeatable heading into the Ravens’ first home AFC Championship Game in 28 years. Jackson has led Baltimore to an average of 33.9 points per game in his previous seven appearances, including last week’s divisional triumph.
Then, in Jackson’s first conference championship game appearance, he did not seem like the game’s best player, and the Ravens equaled a season low for points scored. Baltimore became the first club in 20 years to lose a conference championship game after restricting their opponent to 17 points or less.
“We’re mad,” Jackson stated. “Offense, we did not post anything on the board. We scored once. That is not like us. We drove the ball down the field. That is awesome. But we did get to put points on the board. But I feel like my team is simply furious, not frustrated. “We understand how hard we worked to get here.”
Jackson is the odds-on favorite to earn his second NFL MVP award after throwing for 3,678 yards and 67.2% completion percentage. The Ravens were regarded as the NFL’s most dominating team this season, finishing 6-0 against teams who started the week at least three games above.500 and winning by an average of 26.2 points.
But on Sunday, Jackson repeated his blunders from prior postseasons. In his four postseason defeats, he has averaged 10.5 points, with four touchdowns and eight turnovers.
“There are certain moments that define you, and this is one of them,” Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said. “The greats have all faced adversity, and I don’t believe this will deter him from achieving his ultimate aim. “If anything, he’ll work even harder.”
Beckham added, “He wants it badly. I’d never seen somebody that focused and in the zone, and in that period, I simply felt like it was his time. And, as I previously said, sometimes things in life do not go as planned, and it is just a matter of what you do next.
Jackson struggled with extending drives. On third down, he was 1-for-6 for 7 yards and had two sacks. Jackson also struggled with the Chiefs’ pass rush, completing only 41% of his throws against the blitz.
“I told him to stand up tall,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s had a fantastic season, and his performance today was all heart.” He struggled; he went out there and gave all he could. So I don’t believe it is anything I would be dissatisfied about.”
Jackson has been obsessed with guiding the Ravens to a title for years. When he was picked by Baltimore in 2018, he said, “They’re going to get a Super Bowl out of me.” “Believe that.”
Despite taking Baltimore to the playoffs in four seasons, including two No. 1 seeds, Jackson has yet to lead the Ravens to the Super Bowl.
“Honestly, what hurts me the most is that I wanted to get him the recognition he deserves,” Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen said. “It’s a team sport, but that person was the one I was really playing for. He saw this as a chance to let go of the past and move on.That’s why it hurts: you want to see individuals like that, teammates you love and care for, receive what they deserve, and that didn’t happen today.
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