Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been in the news throughout the offseason as the fomer NFL MVP remains in a contract stalemate with his team.
Jackson is technically slated to hit free agency following the 2022 season and has not necessarily been willing to engage the Ravens’ in substantive contract talks. He’s seemingly betting on himself this coming season in hopes of cashing in big time next spring.
Leading up to the start of the 2022 NFL season, one NFC defensive coordinator absolutely laid into Jackson without putting his name behind the criticism.
“If he has to pass to win the game, they ain’t winning the game. He’s so unique as an athlete and he’s really a good football player, but I don’t (care) if he wins the league MVP 12 times, I don’t think he’ll ever be a 1 as a quarterback. He’ll be a 1 as a football player, but not as a quarterback.”
Unnamed defensive coordinator on lamar jackson, via mike sando of The Athletic
So, apparently it’s the time of the year that we’re providing lazy Jackson takes to fit a narrative that someone wants us to believe. Let’s break it down.
Related: Lamar Jackson and NFL’s top QBs of 2022
Crazy Lamar Jackson criticism just won’t end
“If he has to pass to win the game, they ain’t winning the game.” Well, Jackson had four fourth quarter comebacks during an otherwise down season for the former No. 1 pick in 2021. GOAT Tom Brady had three such comebacks. Two-time reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers has a total of four over the past three seasons. Shall we continue? We shall.
“So many games come down to two-minute, and that is why they have a hard time advancing even when they are good on defense. Playoffs are tight. You have to be able to throw the ball, and he is just so inconsistent throwing the ball. It is hit or miss.”
Unnamed NFC defensive coordinator on Lamar Jackson
So, a formr NFL MVP struggles throwing the football? Apparently, statistics lie. When throwing outside the numbers a season ago, Jackson ranked No. 1 in yards per attempt and success rate while finishing No. 5 in air yards per attempt. Did we mention that this came during a down season for the quarterback?
Lamar Jackson stats (2020): 64% completion, 2,757 yards, 26 TD, 9 INT, 99.3 QB rating
Lamar Jackson stats (2021): 64% completion, 2,882 yards, 16 TD, 13 INT, 87.0 QB rating
Back in 2019, Jackson threw 36 touchdowns against nine interceptions en route to earning the NFL MVP as a sophomore. But he struggles throwing the ball.
The criticism of Jackson in the playoffs could be warranted. He’s thrown five interceptions against three touchdowns in four starts — losing three of those. In his last playoff start, Jackson turned the ball over three times in what was a 17-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills immediately following the 2020 season.
With that said, we’re continuing to see takes thrown out to the media as a way to fit some type of archaic narrative that dual-threat quarterbacks are not actually quarterbacks.
It really isn’t this simple. It never has been. And now, Jackson takes over for the likes of Colin Kaepernick, Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III as the poster boy for this outdated take.