In Sunday’s AFC Championship game, everyone waited anxiously for the moment we all anticipated, when Lamar Jackson would shake every defender and add another jaw-dropping move to his ever-growing highlight reel.
Unfortunately for the Ravens and their fans, that shockingly never materialized.
During the rain-soaked AFC Championship game at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens fell to the Kansas City Chiefs, 17-10. The game was a tale of Patrick Mahomes’ greatness, a second-half revival of Baltimore’s defense and another championship defensive strategy orchestrated by Steve Spagnuolo (ask Tom Brady about his experience against the Giants in the Super Bowl).
But it really was a tale of the confusing absence of the real Lamar Jackson.
In the first half, Mahomes was on fire as he completed 20-25 passes for 161 yards and a TD, leading the Chiefs to a 17-7 halftime lead.
Lamar had a few moments, including the touchdown where he evaded a sack, scrambled and then threw deep to rookie Zay Flowers for a 30-yard TD.
In the second half, the Ravens’ defense made adjustments and stops, allowing Lamar to get on the field to put points on the board.
But it seemed like every time he garnered momentum, it came to a frustrating end with nothing to show for it.
During one drive in the 3Q, he consistently hit running backs out of the backfield for big chunks of yards. Yet it ultimately led to nothing.
That continued in the 4Q as drives stalled or ended because of turnovers; one by Flowers on the goalline and another on an interception by Lamar on a pass that he should never have thrown.
The most frustrating part of watching the game was that Lamar never channeled Lamar and used his athleticism to win games like he did all season. It was almost like he wanted to prove to the critics that he could win from the pocket when his greatest asset is that he doesn’t need to be a pocket passer to win games.
Just be Lamar Jackson. That’s what got Baltimore to a 13-4 record and the number one overall season this year.
But when it mattered most, Lamar, dumbfoundingly, chose not to be Lamar.
Part of it can be attributed to the defensive scheme by Spagnuolo, who kept Lamar in the pocket with constant pressure and extra defensive backs in the secondary. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken deserved some of the blame as he abandoned the Ravens’ rushing attack; Gus Edwards only had 3 carries for 20 yards and the team rushed only 16 times in total, mustering 81 yards.
Flowers is also deserving of some blame as he had two bad plays on the same drive in the 3Q that killed the Ravens. First came the taunting penalty after a 54-yard catch that cost them 15 yards. A few plays later, he tried to reach across the end zone but was stripped and the Chiefs recovered the ball
But the real blame is on Lamar for not being the real Lamar when it mattered most.
In the fourth quarter, in particular, lanes were open where he could have scrambled for big gains. Instead, he threw sidearm passes that either sailed over the receiver’s head or fell harmlessly to the ground. It appeared that he was hesitant to run, which seldom happened this season.
All season, when the team needed a play, Lamar made it, particularly with his legs.
But yesterday, that element was missing.
In the 4Q, he threw the deflating interception on 2nd and 10 from the Chiefs’ 25-yard line with under seven minutes left on a pass that he should never have thrown as Isaiah Likely was triple-covered.
Today, critics will attack Lamar Jackson for what he did and triumphantly pound their chests and say, “See, we told you he wasn’t a real quarterback.”
It’s all good. Let them have their moment.
Others will make it more personal, and we know who those ignorants are and the venom they’ll spew.
Forget them.
Smart people will rightfully criticize Lamar Jackson for failing to be Lamar Jackson in the biggest game of his life.
And while he will learn from this experience, Lamar forgetting who he was in the biggest game of his career will sting him for the rest of 2024.
But don’t worry. The soon-to-be 2x NFL MVP will be back and show everyone that he’s still Lamar Jackson, especially when it matters most.
“Believe that.”
