Lamar Jackson might win his 3rd NFL MVP award on February 6, but his postseason ended early yet again. The Baltimore Ravens lost to the Buffalo Bills 27-25 on Sunday, marking Jackson’s fourth exit from the Divisional Round. The Bills will now take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game, while the Ravens are left to brood on what went wrong. Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson shared their honest take on Jackson’s Super Bowl drought.
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“It sucks. Let me tell you how it sucks- I feel bad for Lamar for one and this is how you know I feel bad- I’m not going to make fun of you about your team losing. I really wanted Lamar to win this one. He’s gonna win MVP and I wanted him to have success in the playoffs. It didn’t go that way and that sucks,” said Johnson on Nightcap.
— Josh McCaffrey (@JoshMcCaff911) January 20, 2025
Despite boasting a roster with nine Pro Bowlers and six All-Pro selections, the Ravens fell short against a Bills team with only two Pro Bowlers and one All-Pro in Josh Allen. What added to the sting was that Baltimore had defeated Buffalo 35-10 in the regular season.
Ocho and Shannon highlighted the Ravens’ inability to capitalize on the opportunities they received in the game. Then again, after turning over the ball thrice and dropping a couple of catches, it is a wonder that Jackson and Baltimore were in the game in the first place.
The Bills dominated both sides of the ball in the first half, stifling the Ravens’ offense and preventing the big plays. Sharpe questioned Baltimore’s play-calling, suggesting they leaned too heavily on the run game early. That made their offense predictable, he observed.
Despite the loss, Lamar is leading the MVP race thanks to his impressive performance this season. The MVP award is a regular-season accolade, and Lamar remains the favorite to win his third in six years. In fact, he has been consistent in the past few regular seasons, delivering high-level performances and maintaining one of the league’s highest QBRs. However, those achievements haven’t translated to the postseason.
Jackson holds a 3-5 playoff record with only one AFC Championship appearance. His failure when it matters the most will continue to be a talking point.
While football is a team sport and wins cannot solely be credited to a QB, Jackson’s postseason performance deserves scrutiny. Over eight playoff games, he has accumulated nearly 2,400 total yards and 13 touchdowns but has also turned the ball over 11 times. It is the fumbles that have cost him and the team dearly.
His performance against the Bills was no different. Statistically, Lamar outperformed Allen.
He threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns, compared to the Bills QB’s 127 passing yards and no touchdown passes. Jackson also added 39 rushing yards, while Allen managed just 20 rushing yards but scored two rushing touchdowns. However, Jackson’s critical errors — a lost fumble and an interception — proved costly, especially since the Bills played a turnover-free game.
With this victory, Allen and the Bills advance to their second AFC Championship game, where they’ll face Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs next Sunday.
