Ahead of the 2024 NFL divisional complete playoffs, pertinent information includes Patrick Mahomes road struggles and Lamar Jackson’s.
Top-tier is the headliner of this weekend’s sporting events. Once more, Patrick Mahomes faces Josh Allen.
Additionally, the opening performers are quite good. C.J. Stroud, a rookie, is capable of upsetting MVP Lamar Jackson.
McCarthy and the Niners reignite their rivalry. To build on their comeback narratives, two quarterbacks were selected first overall.
Upon the Baltimore Ravens securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC on New Year’s Eve, the players enthusiastically commemorated the season through group photographs, each holding a newspaper bearing the headline “AFC’s Best.”
Amidst the jubilant disorder, quarterback Lamar Jackson exhibited a barely observant smile. He greeted teammates with the same stoic expression he has maintained since the beginning of the season.
“We still have work to do,” he informed them. They enthusiastically engaged in dancing in the center of the locker room floor, with even head coach John Harbaugh displaying his moves.
Jackson is cognizant of the fact that he is approaching his “proving ground”—a postseason that will either alter the discourse surrounding his most maligned deficiency from his first six years in the NFL or further emphasize it.
Jackson dominated the regular season before experiencing disappointment in the postseason.
He is on pace to become the newest two-time NFL MVP since the merger at the age of 27, and no quarterback his age has won more regular-season games (58).
However, Jackson has struggled during the most crucial period of the season, finishing the playoffs with a record of 1-3, four touchdowns, and seven turnovers.
Andy Dalton is the only quarterback in NFL history to have accumulated more than 50 victories in his initial six seasons while having fewer postseason triumphs (0-4).
On Saturday, in the divisional round, when the Ravens face the Houston Texans, Jackson will embark on arguably the most critical stretch of his career.
It is, in some ways, how he has approached it. It has manifested itself in his approach to practice and performance.
“Lamar’s frequently had a steadfast focus, but I don’t believe he’s ever displayed it quite like that,” Harbaugh commented.
“He has been that way since our conversation during the offseason, ever since he attended organized team activities (OTAs), and ever since training camp. He has been locked in day by day.”
A year has passed since Jackson essentially obtained everything he desired, even though the journey was initially less than ideal.
Following an extended impasse in which Jackson requested a trade and the Ravens finally authorized him to do so, the parties reached an agreement on a contract worth $260 million over five years—a salary that positioned Jackson among the most financially compensated athletes in the history of the league.
Todd Monken, the offensive coordinator, assigned him a play-caller to improve his passing game.
He acquired Odell Beckham Jr. and first-round pick Zay Flowers via free agency to improve his backing group at wide receiver and alleviate the pressure on his shoulders.
James Urban, the former quarterbacks coach for Michael Jackson, once characterized his players’ preoccupation with the Super Bowl as an obsession. Some perceive it as a personal endeavor.
Robert Griffin III, an ESPN analyst and former Ravens secondary quarterback for the initial three seasons of Jackson’s career, wrote, “I do not believe Lamar views this as a way to silence the haters.”
“I believe it’s his way of communicating, ‘I told you so.'” It is more for the purpose of self-validation than to provoke his detractors.
“Should I be serving as the receiver?” As stated, I was a quarterback. Are you referring to me as a running back? As stated, I was a receiver.
You assert that I ought not to have been selected first overall or drafted within the top ten; however, I pledged to deliver a Super Bowl to those organizations.
The rallying cry the last time Jackson guided Baltimore to a No. 1 seed was “Big truss.” Jackson’s mantra for this year is “locked in.”
Following consecutive postseasons missed due to season-ending injuries, Jackson has developed an entirely newfound appreciation for the opportunity.
Additionally, he has demonstrated exceptional performance against the best, amassing ten victories on teams that concluded the season with winning records—the most by a quarterback in just one season since at least 2000.