Ravens' Lamar Jackson Shrugs Off Critics

Baltimore Ravens superstar Lamar Jackson is tired of hearing about his playoff performance.

Jan 20, 2024; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) drops back to throw against the Houston Texans in the first quarter of a 2024 AFC divisional round game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has little to prove in the regular season, but the postseason is a different story.

Jackson, a two-time league MVP and possibly the best dual-threat quarterback to ever play, is entering his seventh season without a Super Bowl appearance to his name, as his critics like to point out constantly. For many skeptics, Jackson's style of play simply doesn't lend itself well to postseason football.

Those comments mean little, if anything, to Jackson, though. During an appearance on Mad Dog Sports Radio, Jackson explained how his motivation comes from within, not from his legion of critics.

"I'm motivating myself because I know what I want to do at the end of the day," Jackson said. "Those guys have their time. I really don't care what the criticism is, what the critics say, because, at the end of the day, I just came off a season-ending injury the year before and we made it all the way to the AFC [championship game] in the new system [last season]. It's nothing to be down on myself, my teammates, or anything like that because we made it far.

"I really don't care what the criticism is, what the critics say."

2x MVP #Ravens QB Lamar Jackson reacts to critics of his postseason performance with @AdamSchein.

🎧 https://t.co/jP0HFpFutU pic.twitter.com/4KulVIf2f8

— Mad Dog Sports Radio (@MadDogRadio) August 20, 2024

"We're getting closer, I'll say that. We've just got to keep going, and God's will, we'll be there. That's our goal. We criticize ourselves more than anyone else, so what people say on the outside, that's just their take. They can believe what they want to believe but we know what we want. We know what we're striving for."

To play devil's advocate, Jackson's performance in the postseason has left something to be desired, and his 2-4 record is not great either. He has had some great games, though, such as his four-touchdown performance in last season's Divisional Round win over the Houston Texans.

The good news is that he's far from the only elite quarterback to struggle in the postseason early in his career. Peyton Manning didn't win his first Super Bowl until he was 30, and John Elway didn't win his first until he was 37.

That said, the only way to get the critics off his back once and for all is to finally win a Super Bowl. It won't be easy, but it's the only sure-fire way to do so.

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