Ravens QB Lamar Jackson 'Electric' Before Chiefs Game

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has impressed leading up to their season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs across the field during the afternoon session of training camp at the Under Armour Performance Center, / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Even with two MVPs to his name, Lamar Jackson is still striving to reach another level in search of the game's ultimate prize, a Super Bowl.

In the build-up to this season, Jackson has impressed his teammates and may be poised for his best season yet. With how the two-time MVP has performed in practice, Ravens All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith believes Jackson could be back to the kind of player who took the league by storm.

"The guy [Lamar Jackson] looks electric," Smith said. "He looks like he's back at Louisville, in a sense, [with] me watching him take it 80, 90 [yards], but [he can] also zip it down the field, as well."

A slimmer and more dynamic version of Jackson could spell doom for opposing teams. Getting back to the form when he won his first MVP in 2019 can elevate the Ravens' offense to another level and could be the difference maker when it matters most. In 2019, Jackson had 4,3303 total yards and 43 touchdowns.

Regular season success hasn't been the problem for Jackson. The Louisville product is 58-19 in the regular season and has led the Ravens to the No. 1 seed in the AFC twice in his six-year career.

Translating that success to the playoffs is the only knock on his game. He's 2-4 and has thrown six touchdowns and six interceptions in his six postseason games. Among his struggles was last year's AFC Championship game, when he completed 21 of 37 passes for 272 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the Ravens' 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jackson looking as electric as he did in the beginning stages of his career could be a sign that the Ravens are ready to finally get over the hump this season. Doing so against a Kansas City team that cut it short from reaching the Super Bowl would be quite the statement to start the 2024-25 season, and in the process would avenge last year's painful defeat.

"Any game I play in, I feel like it's a revenge game," Jackson said. "So, I'm not going just going to look at this game like it's a revenge game. Anybody we've played, no matter if we've beat them or lost to them in previous years, I just want to win."

Baltimore opens the 2024-25 NFL season on Thursday when it faces the Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium at 8:20 p.m. ET.

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