The Baltimore Ravens lost a heartbreaker to the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional round. While Lamar Jackson was able to lead the Ravens on a scoring drive late in the fourth quarter to pull within two points of the Bills, veteran tight end Mark Andrews was unable to secure the ensuing two-point conversion and the Bills held on for the win, earning the right to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Championship Game.
Despite the disappointing finish that dropped Jackson’s career postseason record to an ugly 3-5, his teammates have unwavering faith in the veteran passer. Although Jackson is still awaiting his breakthrough moment in the playoffs, there’s a feeling among the Ravens that it’s just a matter of time.
“It’s inevitable… He’s going to win a Super Bowl, and I want to be a part of it. It just sucks that it hasn’t happened yet,” fullback Patrick Ricard said, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.
While Jackson doesn’t have a Super Bowl win – or even a Super Bowl appearance – he does have two league MVPs. That makes him the only two-time MVP in NFL history without a championship.
Ravens’ players still believe in Lamar Jackson
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Jackson’s postseason struggles are well documented. He’s now started eight playoff games and gone 3-5. He’s thrown 10 touchdown passes and seven interceptions while rushing for three scores and losing four fumbles. On Sunday, the seventh-year passer posted yet another multi-turnover game, throwing an interception and losing a costly fumble.
Jackson lost the ball on a sack in the first half. Von Miller scooped up the ball and returned it 39 yards, setting up a scoring opportunity for the Bills. Four plays later, Josh Allen punched it in to give Buffalo a 14-7 lead midway through the second quarter. The Bills would never relinquish the lead, holding on for a 27-25 victory.
In an extremely close matchup, the contest came down to who was able to avoid mistakes. While Jackson played well enough to win, throwing for 254 yards and two scores and adding 39 yards on the ground, he had the two turnovers. And Andrews had an extremely costly, uncharacteristic drop when the Ravens had an opportunity to tie the game.
Despite the errors, Baltimore’s players defended Andrews and running back Derrick Henry, who only received 16 carries against the Bills for some reason, is standing by Jackson.
The Ravens’ All-Pro quarterback had another fantastic regular season. He made NFL history as the first QB to pass for 4,000 yards and run for 800 yards in a single season. However, until he makes the leap to winning a title, questions will loom regarding his ability to lead a team to victory when it matters most.
