Getty Lamar Jackson celebrates a big play in a playoff game.
Lamar Jackson finally won a playoff game and ditched several narratives over the weekend, and one person who was all eyes was Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd.
Cowherd saw what happened with Jackson when he managed to win on the road for the Baltimore Ravens against the Tennessee Titans, and like many, believes that Jackson did enough to dispel the biggest narrative about him in his young career. Jackson’s lack of playoff success had been a big talking point, but after he put that to rest, Cowherd thinks he can continue to improve.
It’s time to end the Lamar Jackson playoffs narrative:
“Yeah, he’s good enough. Every year I watch him, he’s better at something… The difference in this game was Lamar. That was it.” — @ColinCowherd
Cowherd said:
“He’s good enough. Number one, he’s a kid. Every year I watch him, he is better at something. This year, he’s better in the red zone. Winning in the playoffs is hard for everybody. He’s no less dynamic in the playoffs. Titans-Ravens, what was the difference? Lamar Jackson, a guy who can make plays off script. The difference in the game was Lamar Jackson, and that’s it. On a weekend that was dominated by defense, it was a special player in the Ravens game (that was the difference). It was Lamar. And by the way, he’s 24. Most 23 and 24 year old kids are looking for their first job. ‘Lamar can’t come from behind, Lamar can’t win a playoff game.’ That’s nonsense. His biggest issue is actually the Kansas City Chiefs, not his inability to throw up the sidelines. There’s his thing called Kansas City, Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes. And he may never beat them. But that’s not going to be on his inability to look pretty and throw up the sidelines. Every year with Lamar he gets a little better.”
The Ravens managed to win the game on the field, but they may have taken an even bigger step to clean up their perception given the victory and how it played out off of it. That’s significant for Jackson moving forward in terms of his legacy and trying to end the narratives about him early on in his career.
Consider this one finished as Cowherd hints. If he can win a few more games, it could do plenty more to dispel more roadblocks.
Lamar Jackson Ditches Narrative With Playoff Win
Given Jackson’s record in the postseason, this past weekend’s game was a huge one. Previously, Jackson had been 0-2 and had suffered some terrible defeats in which he played poorly. While Jackson wasn’t a statistical darling in this matchup, he also made the biggest play of the game as Cowherd pointed out in scrambling for a long touchdown run to get the Ravens back in the game.
Now that Jackson has the win and the confidence to go with it, the sky could be the limit in terms of what he could do next. Clearly, getting the victory was a huge step for the youngster as Cowherd and others have noticed.
Lamar Jackson Carrying Ravens
While the team has no doubt seen their share of emerging stars this season on both offense and defense, it’s clear things begin and end with Jackson throwing and running the football in addition to how he leads the squad no matter their record or standing in the league. Their offense is getting it done on the ground and through the air, which has led to the major resurgence on the field in terms of wins lately. Jackson himself has had an average season, with only 2,757 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, 1,005 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. Those numbers might be lower than what thy were in his NFL MVP season, but it’s long been clear that the stats are only half of what Jackson brings to the table. He is still the unquestioned heart and soul of the entire team.
Not only with play, but with statistics, Jackson has become one of the can’t miss quarterbacks in the entire NFL. Now that he’s ditched the baggage of being a playoff choker, it will be fascinating to see what his next act is.
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