Back in 2019, Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens were in a very similar situation to the one they are in now.
The Ravens had the best record in the NFL, they were the hottest team in the league going into the playoffs and Jackson was a leading MVP candidate.
Sound familiar?
With Baltimore’s blowout win over the San Francisco 49ers on Christmas Day, the Ravens improved to a league-best 12-3 on the year. It also marked their fifth straight victory and almost certainly vaulted Jackson to the front of the MVP race.
But Jackson is hoping for different results this time around.
Four years ago, Baltimore ultimately lost to the Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, essentially making almost everything Jackson and Co. accomplished during the regular season null and void.
Jackson remembers that feeling.
“We know what it was in 2019 when we were playing against [teams] like this [and] winning regular season games. When the time came, we didn’t finish the season,” Jackson said, via Ryan Mink of the Ravens’ official team website. “We’re just going to keep taking it a day at a time, a practice at a time and a game at a time. That’s all I’m focused on right now.”
Jackson went 23-for-35 with 252 yards and a couple of touchdowns while carrying the ball seven times for 45 yards in Baltimore’s 33-19 win over the 49ers.
On the season overall, the 26-year-old has thrown for 3,357 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 66.3 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 97.2. In addition, he has rushed for 786 yards and five scores, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
As impressive as Jackson’s numbers have been, the sixth-year quarterback clearly has his eyes set on much bigger things.
Lamar Jackson and Co. can clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC (and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs) if they are able to beat the Miami Dolphins next weekend. They will then wrap up the regular season when they battle the Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 7.
Both of the Ravens’ remaining two games are at home.
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