Getty Lamar Jackson reacts during the Ravens' playoff loss.
The Baltimore Ravens were unceremoniously knocked out of the NFL postseason last weekend, and in the aftermath, everyone seems to have a take on what it means for the team moving forward.
Some folks don’t think the loss was that significant, but others think it was quite a big deal. One of those people can be counted as Peter Schrager of the NFL Network. On Monday’s episode of Good Morning Football, Schrager debated with his co-hosts about the severity of the loss and where it leaves Baltimore’s legacy after this season, and admitted he thinks this one will cut Baltimore deep for a long time to come.
“This is the most brutal loss a tam can have in franchise history, 14-2, you’re out by the divisional round and were embarrassed on your home field,” he said. “This is as big a gut punch. This is now just a forgettable team in NFL history. They didn’t even make it to the championship round.”
As for what the Ravens’ legacy is now following this failure to start off 2020, Schrager thinks the answer is quite obvious, and it’s not a great one for Baltimore fans.
“Their legacy is they couldn’t get it done. They couldn’t finish the job and when they needed to, they laid and all-time egg,” he said. “An absolutely brutal, destructive loss for a team that was so fun, that we were thinking was the future. This one is one that sits with you for decades. There were few teams in NFL history that were as fun and as fascinating as this. No one is going to remember Mark Andrews came into this one banged up. They’re going to remember they couldn’t get it done.”
Plenty on how 2020 is remembered will hinge on what happens later on this year, and then again in 2021 if the Ravens get back into the postseason to get another crack at ending their current losing streak in the playoffs.
Media Defends Lamar Jackson
While in the same clip Schrager wasn’t interested in the notion that Jackson should be insulated from critiques following Baltimore’s loss, plenty of other members of the media have not been as hard on Jackson in the aftermath of defeat.
Jackson is being blamed for a second straight Ravens meltdown in the postseason, regardless of his stellar 2019 season on the field. In spite of that, though, others aren’t rushing to blame the team’s quarterback for being ousted from the playoffs again.
After the shocking 28-12 defeat to the Tennessee Titans, former quarterback Danny Kanell explained that even though Jackson had one bad night, age is still on his side, as is the fact that he recently finished off an amazing season on the field.
Just a few reminders to people taking shots at Lamar Jackson…
He’s 23
He just put down a season we have never seen before
He is a lock to be the second youngest MVP since Jim Brown.
He’s 23. It takes playoff experience to win. No doubt he’ll be back
He’s 23!!!!
As was also pointed out, other quarterbacks also started out with early holes in their playoff resume. The run of both those guys ended pretty good as well with a bunch of Lombardi Trophies.
Eli Manning lost the first two playoff games of his career. Peyton Manning lost the first three of his career.
But go ahead and tell me that this is a referendum on Lamar Jackson because he’s a “running QB.”
Obviously, there is still ample time for Jackson to turn things around and make his playoff resume better down the line.
Ravens Players Blunt About Loss
It might not be a stretch to think that plenty of the team’s own players might agree with this line of thinking from Schrager. Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey didn’t mince words when asked about the situation. As he said, the Ravens should be considered chokers after making it into the postseason the last two years and failing to win with the talent that they have on the roster.
#Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey: “The sad reality of it is …. we’ve been here two years in a row and we’ve lost. So I think you gotta look yourself in the mirror. This team right now, its identity is to get to the playoffs and choke. It is what it is. It’s just a hard truth.”
It’s a bold take, but credit Humphrey for owning up to the defeat and not making any excuses. Often times, players will look to avoid blame when a loss takes place, but it’s not the case for Humphrey and the Ravens following a massive frustration in the playoffs and one of the biggest upsets in recent memory.
The Ravens did a lot of positive things in 2019, but the fact that they entered the postseason as heavy favorites and were not able to emerge victorious in a game or make the Super Bowl will certainly leave a mark.
Schrager and Humphrey would likely agree with each other’s take on what went down this season for the Ravens.