“Has Multiple Turnovers in Half of His Career Playoff Games”: Nick Wright Tries to Make Sense Why the Lamar Jackson Discourse ‘Breaks People’s Brains’

Lamar Jackson once again bottled a chance to reach the Super Bowl. But this time, people are feeling bad for the superstar, as he put in a decent performance. However, Nick Wright doesn’t want to move the goalposts every time Lamar loses and explained why we need to stop holding him to such a high standard.

While it’s true that Lamar and Mahomes have similar playoff statistics, Wright doesn’t believe it tells the whole story. In a scathing Twitter post, the prominent analyst called out Bill Barnwell and ESPN for defending Lamar following the Divisional Round loss and even claiming that the Ravens quarterback’s playoff numbers are “basically identical” to Patrick Mahomes’.

For Wright, the two quarterbacks are miles apart. Especially since Jackson makes mistakes in crucial mistakes in the post-season, always costing his team the game. But clearly, that’s not been the same with Mahomes and the Chiefs.

“Acting as if the Zay Flowers fumble (which happened with them down 10 points, and was immediately followed by an egregious Lamar INT in the end zone, with them also down 10 points) and a Mark Andrews drop (which would have simply tied the game, and their BEST CASE scenario was stopping the Bills from getting a FG with 2 TOs & 1:33 AND THEN winning in OT) are why folks are criticizing Lamar,” a part of the tweet read.

The two plays in question, at first glance, certainly bolster the argument that Lamar has performed well in recent playoff games, but it’s his teammates who have let him down in key moments. Regardless of whether they won the game or not, the plays, if successful, would have put the Ravens in an excellent position to win. However, as Wright pointed out, Lamar has been the one to falter come playoff time—and that too, every season.

“That’s not it! It’s that in the regular season, he IS the guy you guys say he is… one of the greatest players of all time! And then EVERY YEAR in the postseason, he has one of, if not his very worst game of the year!”

As harsh as it may sound for Lamar, it’s right on the money. And Wright has receipts to back his stance up. Jackson has now lost five playoff games, and in each one, he had a meltdown of some proportion. This year it was multiple turnovers for the first time all season. Taking care of the ball has become a glaring issue in the playoffs for Lamar.

Lamar’s playoff statistics

After the painful loss last night, Lamar falls to 3-5 all-time in the playoffs. And this season, while statistically elite, was a step in the wrong direction for the team.

Last season, the Ravens lost painfully to the Kansas City Chiefs on the doorstep of a Super Bowl. This year, the team decided to sign Derrick Henry to fill the gaps and become a true Super Bowl contender. While it was a great signing, it didn’t ultimately put them over the top. Instead, they lost one round earlier.

Lamar’s statistics in the playoffs don’t jump off the page either. He averages just 219 passing yards and has thrown 10 touchdowns to seven interceptions. He’s also added 641 rushing yards and three rushing TDs, but he’s also fumbled four times.

It’s a lot of give-and-take for Lamar in the playoffs. But he’s a ship that the Ravens will most certainly go down with. His electric speed and accurate arm make him one of the most dynamic QBs in the league. He just needs to figure out how to navigate a treacherous AFC filled with other Hall of Fame-level QBs at the moment.

Lamar was critical of himself following the loss, not so surprisingly. He called his interception a “BS” throw that he made, and in regards to the turnovers in general he said, “We can’t have that sh*t.”

It’s a tough loss to swallow, but it was also a tough game. Josh Allen and the Bills are a great team that could go on to the Super Bowl. Bot for Baltimore, it’s back to the drawing board, as they continue to figure out how to win it all with Lamar at the helm.