The old playoff version of Lamar Jackson has left the building.
The Baltimore Ravens quarterback made that clear Saturday night as he capped an electrifying performance in the Ravens’ 34-10 AFC divisional round victory over the Houston Texans.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Lamar Jackson scampered eight yards for his second TD run — and he kept right on going. He ran through the end zone and into the players’ tunnel with the football, as if he was done for the night.
And yes, he was done. With a four-touchdown effort that included one dazzling play after another Saturday, Lamar Jackson delivered an emphatic message to those who criticized his poor playoff record.
He put the NFL on notice that this year’s playoff version of Lamar Jackson would be the same as the regular-season version — the one that’s the favorite to win his second NFL Most Valuable Player award.
Jackson, who entered the game with a 1-3 playoff record, is out to prove this season is different. And it already is, now that Jackson — after winning his first playoff game in four years — will finally play in his first AFC championship game next weekend against the winner of Sunday night’s Kansas City Chiefs-Buffalo Bills matchup.
Jackson outdueled the Texans’ C.J. Stroud and carried the Ravens with his typical brilliance as the NFL’s ultimate dual-threat quarterback. He completed 16-of-22 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for another 100 yards and two TDs on 11 carries.
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The Ravens (14-4) especially needed Jackson’s extraordinary abilities in the second half. The game was tied 10-10 heading into halftime, with the Texans having the clear momentum to close out the half.
It appeared DeMeco Ryans, the Texans’ first-year head coach, had found Jackson’s Kryptonite; he dialed up the most blitzes of his career as both a head coach and defensive coordinator. That led to three consecutive three-and-outs, and the Texans further capitalized with a Steven Sims’ 67-yard punt return for a touchdown that tied the game.
But the effectiveness of Ryans’ strategy didn’t carry over into the second half, as Jackson engineered four straight scoring drives, with the first three leading to touchdowns — two on Jackson runs and one on a TD pass to tight end Isaiah Likely.
In conversations about today’s great quarterbacks, Lamar Jackson’s playoff record has kept him from being discussed on the same level as Patrick Mahomes. Jackson will likely match Mahomes as a two-time regular-season MVP, but Mahomes’ two Super Bowl rings have always placeed him at the top of the QB pedestal.
Perhaps this is the playoff season when Lamar Jackson can alter the narrative. He’s already put to rest the notion that he can’t in the playoffs. Now, the focus shifts whether he can win a Super Bowl, and Jackson stands only one victory away from reaching the summit.