Anyone and everyone who follows the NFL knows the dominant narrative surrounding Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Jackson and the Ravens have dominated in the regular season, winning 10+ games almost every year of his starting career and putting up jaw-dropping numbers on offense. However, they've infamously struggled in the postseason, with Jackson having a 3-5 playoff record as a starter. The media has never let him hear the end of it, and likely won't until he gets over the hump in January.
After one of the best quarterback seasons of all time, Jackson is perhaps feeling the pressure now more than ever. CBS Sports' Jeff Kerr ranked him as the quarterback with the second-most pressure to win the Super Bowl next season, only behind Buffalo Bills star and reigning MVP Josh Allen.
"The NFL's all-time rushing yards leader for quarterbacks (6,173), Jackson is the only player with multiple MVP awards who doesn't have a championship," Kerr wrote. "His struggles in the postseason are well known, as Jackson is 3-5 with 13 total touchdowns and 11 turnovers in his playoff career.
"Jackson's .745 win percentage is the best ever by a quarterback without a Super Bowl title, as he has multiple turnovers in four of eight playoff games. He's the only multiple-time MVP quarterback with a losing record in the playoffs, as the Ravens average 18.6 points per game in Jackson's starts in the playoffs compared to 28.7 in the regular season."
Obviously, Jackson isn't fully responsible for the Ravens' postseason woes and he has had some good performances, but they absolutely need him to be better if they want to win the big game.
Baltimore is once again a Super Bowl favorite heading into the 2025 season, and if Jackson plays up to his potential in January, there's no reason why it can't win. However, that's proven to be a big if.
