The NFL schedule is officially out, and let’s just say the Baltimore Ravens didn’t get any favors. Their first four weeks are a gauntlet: road games in Buffalo and Kansas City, sandwiched around tough home matchups with the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions. For most quarterbacks, this would be viewed as a test. For Lamar Jackson, it’s already being treated like a trial.
The media’s relationship with Jackson hasn’t exactly been subtle. He can throw for 4,000 yards, rush for 900 more, win two MVPs, and still get dismissed for not winning a championship. One playoff loss—even one where he led a perfect two-minute drill that came one drop away from tying the game—somehow resets the narrative.
So when the Ravens open the season against Josh Allen on Sunday Night Football in Buffalo, followed by a date with Jared Goff and a trip to Arrowhead to face Patrick Mahomes, don’t be surprised if the knives come out early.
Lamar Jackson’s early 2025 matchups set stage for media overreaction
There is no easing into this season. Buffalo is a Super Bowl contender playing its final season at Highmark Stadium. The Browns are, well, a mess—but it’s still a divisional game. Then it’s the Lions, one of the NFC’s toughest offenses. And the Chiefs? Enough said.
Here’s what you already know: if Jackson struggles at any point during this opening stretch—especially against Allen or Mahomes—the same tired narratives will resurface. He can’t win the big one. He’s not on their level. He’s just a runner.
Never mind that Jackson has outdueled Allen in the regular season. Never mind that Mahomes has had subpar games against the Ravens. Never mind that Jackson just had a 41-touchdown, 4-interception season and was the best quarterback in football from September through December. The bar is different for him. It always has been.
Allen threw six interceptions last year and lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars at home. Mahomes struggled mightily throughout the season, practically getting gifted wins. But those narratives somehow feel less sticky. Jackson fumbles once or throws a pick in Week 1, and you’d think the sky is falling.
So yeah—Ravens fans are bracing themselves. Not for the schedule. For the takes. The Lamar discourse is already loaded, and a stumble in the first few weeks will only feed the machine. He’s heard it all before. But if he’s the one holding the last laugh come January, it’s going to be awfully satisfying. That's the only thing that matters.
