LANDON WASHBURN, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Despite being one of the most entertaining athletes in the league, Lamar Jackson is brutally overrated and will never win a Super Bowl.
The Baltimore Ravens quarterback had another All-Pro season and is favored to win the Most Valuable Player Award yet again. He ranked at the top of the leaderboard for quarterbacks – in the rushing categories – again. First in rushing yards (821) and rushing yards per game (51.3), second in rushing attempts (148), third in yards per carry (5.5) and he was tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns (5).
When it comes to passing, it’s a different story.
In a year where we had 54 different starting quarterbacks, guys like Aaron Rogers, Joe Burrow, Kirk Cousins, Justin Herbert and Deshaun Watson all suffered season-ending injuries. All likely would have elapsed the 3,678 yards Jackson threw for, ranking him 15th in the NFL.
If Geno Smith and Gardner Minshew had played the whole season, they would have passed Jackson.
Jackson had 10 games this season where he had one or no touchdowns in the game. That can’t happen if you want to be considered one of the league’s best and win a championship.
Ravens fans want to mention the penalties and the Zay Flowers fumble into the end zone that cost them a chance to go to the Super Bowl this past Sunday but, the truth is, Jackson again lost the game for you in the playoffs.
Jackson missed on multiple key passes in the game. His decision-making was controversial. The fact that people will put him as the best quarterback in the NFL is unbelievable. Guys like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow still exist. You can also make a case for people like Jalen Hurts or Justin Herbert in the conversation.
Jackson has absolutely underperformed in the playoffs.
His playoff record is now 2-4. He has thrown over 200 yards in only 2-of-6 playoff games. His touchdown-interception ratio is 6:6. His only two wins in the postseason were to Ryan Tannehill and rookie C.J. Stroud.
So, what are the excuses for Jackson? He got the record-breaking five-year 260-million-dollar contract, an offense built around him with good weapons – and a top-ranked defense.
Lamar Jackson will always be entertaining to watch with his elite running ability and playing making, but a quarterback’s job is to throw the ball to his receivers.
washbulj22@bonaventure.edu
