Such is the current run of form shown by Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson that even on his relative ‘off-days,’ he still manages to set new high standards.
Though he only managed to throw for 167 yards (a season-low), Jackson led the Ravens to a 34-6 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, which represented his 35th NFL win, and that’s the most victories a player has accomplished by the age of 25.
Jackson was his usual down-to-earth self when informed of this feat, remarking;
“That’s pretty cool, I guess,” Jackson said. “I don’t know what to say after that. It’s cool. Gotta keep going.”
The win over their divisional rivals leaves the Ravens at 5-1 and a decent-looking bet to go long into the postseason. At sidelines.io, you can currently find odds of (+1000) on the Ravens to win the Super Bowl, and those odds have come in a great deal due to the great form shown by John Harbaugh’s side.
The season didn’t start so brightly, the Ravens losing in overtime to the Las Vegas Raiders before racking up wins over the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, and the Los Angeles Chargers.
It’s now nine years since the Ravens came up short, just in their Super Bowl defeat to the San Francisco 49ers, and since then, they’ve had their ups and downs. For three years on the spin, they’ve come up short in the postseason and will want to get back to winning ways when it counts most.
There is a concern with some that Ravens have developed into something of a one-man team, though perhaps that’s a cross that’s worth bearing. There has been a groundswell of opinion among pundits, who have repeatedly stated that this might be the year that the NFL works out how to nullify Jackson, this season, it hasn’t proven the case.
Jackson is now into his fourth season at the M&T Bank Stadium, and his regular-season record of 35-8 is mighty impressive. In the postseason, that record drops to 1-3, and that’s an issue that must be reversed if the 2019 NFL MVP is to capture the trophy he really wants.
That win over the Chargers, when Jackson had a bad day, is perhaps a sign that the Ravens know how to win ‘ugly’. Early season favorites the Kansas City Chiefs have started poorly and now the talk is of the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers being the teams most likely to push for Super Bowl glory, but no one should rule out this Ravens side.
Jackson is very much the key man as Harbaugh pushes for the Super Bowl crown and though he has his doubters, not many can deny his abilities.
Lest we forget that Jackon recently became the fastest player in NFL history to rack up 5000 passing yards AND 2500 rushing yards, doing so in the space of three seasons. The numbers don’t lie, Lamar Jackson IS that good, and greatness is surely on the cards.