Lamar Jackson Gives Brutally Honest Self-Assessment After 4-INT Game

Baltimore Ravens superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson didn’t hold back when asked for his reaction to watching his film from his team’s November 28 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

“Bad passes and inaccurate, underthrown passes – that’s all I’ve seen,” he said during the Ravens’ Week 13 media availability session, “Bad reads, I looked like a rookie.”

But even during his 2018 rookie season, Jackson never threw more than two interceptions in a game, nor did he finish a game with a passer rating lower than 50.0.

His stats vs. Cleveland? Four interceptions and a 46.5 passer rating, both career-worsts for the 2019 MVP.

“I looked like a rookie,” repeated Jackson, but he refused to offer any excuses for his poor performance.

“There aren’t any excuses,” he said twice, “I’m supposed to do what I’m supposed to do and play ‘Lamar-ball,’ and I didn’t.”

But Jackson noted that the Ravens still won the game, the first time since 2013 that an NFL team overcame four interceptions from its quarterback to secure a victory, breaking a 41-game losing streak for such teams, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.

The Browns game was Jackson’s fourth multi-interception game of 2021, the same number as he had in his first three years in the NFL. But even more notable than that is the Ravens’ record in those games this season: 4-0, per Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun.

Jackson, who head coach John Harbaugh called a “massive competitor” after the game, is determined to avoid any repeat performances this season.

“I let it fester. I need to feel it, I need to feel that pain,” said Jackson when asked if he instantly let go of the rough night vs. the Browns.

He was particularly disappointed at the idea of letting down his teammates on defense, saying,  “That’s pain right there. The defense is making great stops, and I’m putting my defense back out there right away.”

But he’s not planning on bringing the frustration with him to Pittsburgh on December 5, telling media, “I let it fester for a couple days, and then I let it go and get prepared for the Steelers, for my next game, whoever it is.”

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Breaking Down Jackson’s Interceptions

Jackson wasn’t kidding when he described his rough passing day: inaccuracy, underthrows and poor reads were present throughout the game.

His first interception was way behind wide receiver Rashod Bateman, bouncing off the rookie’s hands and into the arms of a Browns defender.

It’s possible that Jackson was targeting Mark Andrews on the play, but with three defenders converging on the tight end, it’s unlikely that decision would have worked out much better.

Jackson then fired an inaccurate pass towards a tight window, which is a recipe for disaster in the NFL.

He may have been attempting to avoid his previous mistake by making sure the ball wasn’t near a crossing Sammy Watkins, but threw it too far inside, allowing a relatively easy interception.

His third pick was another ball placement mistake, with Jackson throwing inside of Andrews rather than leading him into open space towards the sideline.

Browns safety Ronnie Harrison made a nice play on the ball, but replays indicated that it could’ve hit the ground, explaining why Andrews fought so hard through the end of the play.

Jackson’s fourth (and mercifully, final) interception was one of the underthrows he mentioned, forcing Andrews to slow down after beating his man just to try to break up the pick.

Jackson put too much air under the ball, giving the defender time to catch up to Andrews and secure the turnover. The fourth-year quarterback appeared to just flick the ball more than 40 yards downfield, indicating that Jackson has the requisite arm strength to make the throw. He’s made similar throws all season, but left this one far too short, resulting in his fourth pick.

The Ravens will be looking to minimize the turnovers when they visit the Steelers in Week 13 in a bid to hold onto first place in AFC.

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