On the eve of the Divisional Round of the 2023 NFL Playoffs, the final eight remaining teams are gearing up to play for a chance to advance to the Conference Championship games next Sunday. The first game of the weekend will take place in Baltimore, and there may be no quarterback in the league with more to prove than the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson.
NFL: Lamar Jackson Feels The Pressure This Season
#Ravens Lamar Jackson “I’m not getting any younger. It’s best to win it now”
Lamar’s eyes are on the Lombardi 👀
(h/t @TheAthletic) https://t.co/EAFLD1xqHd pic.twitter.com/OG33zYyMyB
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 19, 2024
Baltimore is entering the postseason as the #1 seeded team in the AFC. They have been one of the most consistently dominant teams so far this season, and Jackson is the overwhelming favorite to walk home with the MVP award for leading his team to a 13-4 record.
They’ve been in similar spots before, though. The Ravens qualified for the playoffs in three of the four seasons that Jackson has been the starter, but have never made it past the divisional round. Even when they had the best record in the NFL in 2019 at 14-2, they came up short against the Tennessee Titans after having a first-round bye.
Ravens Can Remove The Stigma By Winning It All
Texans at Ravens…
Room for an upset? pic.twitter.com/BSEyHXBjqB
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) January 19, 2024
It has been a stigma that Jackson and the Ravens have carried with them ever since, as they have never been able to make it over the hump. In fact, he hasn’t even participated in the postseason himself since the 2020 season, as the Ravens missed out in 2021 and he was injured in 2023.
That makes capitalizing on their opportunity this year all the more important. Said Jackson during an interview leading up to the game:
I remember coming into the building with all of those guys. Now, it’s just like me, Gus (Edwards) and Mark (Andrews). We had so many guys. It was incredible, man…It made me sit back and realize, ‘Damn, I’m getting older. I’ve got to get a championship now.’ That’s one of the reasons I’m stressing that I need to win it. I’m not getting any younger. It’s best to win it now.
He is not exactly “old”, but Lamar Jackson is certainly at the height of his game in his 6th NFL season. The Ravens are currently listed with a +290 designation for winning the Super Bowl, the second highest behind only the 49ers, who they defeated handily not long ago.
For this Saturday’s game against the Houston Texans, the Ravens will be at home, and the weather conditions will certainly be in their favor. As of Friday evening, Jackson and company were listed as 9.5 point favorites.
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