Ravens fans or not, many were hoping Lamar Jackson could take on the reigning champ and come out victorious. But Mahomes shattered those hopes when he plundered Baltimore and left with the Lamar Hunt trophy. And hunt Lamar, he did. Or, the Chiefs’ defense did. Nevertheless, Lamar Jackson’s greatness just wasn’t enough to counter the greatness of the 2x MVP.
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Of course, the Ravens’ frustration was palpable on the field. So close, yet so far. They’d been inches from a chance at the Super Bowl, closer than they’d been in 11 years, the first time star QB Lamar Jackson saw the AFC Championship stage. But Jackson isn’t frustrated with the loss, he’s ANGRY.
Talking in the post-game presser, the Ravens QB couldn’t help but be a little incensed, though not in his demeanor. Respectful as ever, he once more handled a defeat with grace, owned up to his limitations, and promised to come out stronger on the other side. When asked if he felt frustrated with the loss, he said,
“Oh I’m not frustrated at all, I’m angry about losing. We were a game away from the Super Bowl. We’ve been waiting all this time, all these moments for an opportunity like this, and we fell short. But I feel like our team, we’re gonna build. This offseason, we’re gonna get it right, get better, grind, and try to be in this position again, but on the other side of victory.”
Jackson was so furious over throwing an interception in the fourth quarter that he ripped off his helmet, slammed it, and stalked off to the sideline. After a dominant regular season, the Ravens offense faltered and blundered, and they know it. Jackson said,
“We’re mad. Offense, we didn’t put nothing on the board. We scored once. That’s not like us. We drove the ball down the field. That’s cool. But we got to put points on the board. But I feel like my team just angry, not frustrated, we just angry. We know how hard we worked to get here.”
The anticipated NFL MVP experienced another season brimming with potential, only to land on his back in the postseason. Jackson faced challenges in sustaining drives, particularly on third downs, where he managed only one completion out of six attempts for a mere 7 yards, while also succumbing to two sacks. Additionally, he encountered difficulties handling the Chiefs’ pass rush, recording a season-low 41% completion rate against their blitz.
To add insult to injury, Baltimore became the first team in 20 years to lose a conference championship game when holding the opponent to 17 points or less. And of course, the naysayers were quick to pile on, reminding everyone that the games he did manage to win in the postseason were against a rookie QB and Ryan Tannehill. But while he may be beating himself up over Sunday’s loss, his team continues to support him.
HC John Harbaugh Bats for Lamar Jackson
Maintaining the same grace and composure as Jackson, HC Harbaugh candidly addressed the significant issues that led to the Ravens’ typically dynamic offense stalling so dramatically against the Chiefs. Of course, he wasn’t far behind in supporting his star QB, despite the hard loss they took today. Addressing the presser he said,
“I told him to stand up tall,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s had a great season, his performance today was all heart. He fought, he went out there and gave everything he had. So I don’t think that’s anything that I’d be disappointed in.”
He believes his team has still a lot to be proud of, a 13-4 record for starters. Harbaugh recognized that falling short of the Super Bowl is a disappointment for a team of their caliber, given their strong performance in the regular season. Despite this, he expressed pride in the team’s achievements. And had the sentiment for the entirety of his team: “walk out of here with their heads held high, and their chests out.”
