The truth that star quarterback Lamar Jackson hasn’t but added a single Tremendous Bowl look to his profession resume is hovering over the Baltimore Ravens throughout yet one more summer time.
Whereas talking with Ravens reporter Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic for a bit revealed on Wednesday, Baltimore broad receiver Rashod Bateman defended Jackson in opposition to what have develop into all-too-familiar criticisms.
“No matter they are saying about Lamar is form of mind-boggling to us typically,” Bateman stated. “In case you watched the dude’s spotlight tape in faculty, he threw the ball actually, very well. You watch within the NFL, and he’s throwing the ball higher than most quarterbacks since he’s been enjoying. I believe they’re undoubtedly caught up in him not attending to the Tremendous Bowl, however actually, that’s laborious to even say.”
Jackson entered final September a two-time MVP, and some analysts thought he deserved to win the award for the 2024 marketing campaign over Buffalo Payments quarterback Josh Allen.
In keeping with StatMuse, Jackson and Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals completed Week 18 with a league-high 45 mixed passing and speeding touchdowns. Jackson was second behind Burrow (5,119) with a mixed 5,087 passing and speeding yards. Per Pro Football Reference, Jackson led all certified gamers with a 119.6 passer ranking for the common season.
Nonetheless, Jackson fell to 3-5 as a postseason starter through Baltimore’s 27-25 divisional-round loss to the Payments in January. Throughout that contest, he tossed a bad interception and
committed a costly fumble that resulted in Buffalo scoring a landing.
“There’s 11 folks enjoying, and it’s laborious to place all of it on the quarterback, regardless that that’s the chief of the group,” Bateman continued. “In case you actually watch soccer, Lamar does rather a lot. He provides folks jobs, and he saves folks’s jobs. Lamar is a particular, particular generational expertise.”
It is definitely not Jackson’s fault that tight finish Mark Andrews lost a fumble within the fourth quarter of the matchup in Buffalo earlier than Andrews dropped a move on what ought to have been a game-tying two-point conversion with 1:33 remaining in regulation. As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Jackson-led Ravens, Payments and Philadelphia Eagles tied as the highest betting favorites at +650 odds to win Tremendous Bowl LX in February 2026.
The Ravens addressed a necessity and made a serious splash in June when they signed cornerback Jaire Alexander. Bateman made it recognized he was an enormous fan of that transfer.
“That is one of the best group that I’ve ever been on within the NFL, throughout and particularly now with Jaire,” Bateman informed Zrebiec. “We at all times have the items. It’s on us now to exit, compete and simply do it.”