Does Ravens' Lamar Jackson Have Clutch Factor?

Despite their overall success in recent years, the Baltimore Ravens have struggled late in games.

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

The word clutch is constantly thrown around in the NFL, usually in reference to quarterbacks. In that regard, Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens may have some work to do.

CBS Sports' Douglas Clawson recently ranked the top 10 clutch quarterbacks in the league based on their conversion rate on game-tying/go-ahead drives in the fourth quarter and overtime, as well as their expected points added (EPA) in said situations. Jackson just barely made it onto the list, coming in at No. 9.

"Jackson has the third-highest conversion rate on these clutch drives (48 percent) among active starters behind only C.J. Stroud and Patrick Mahomes," Clawson writes. "Problem is, he hasn't delivered in the clutch in the postseason and he was one of the reasons the Ravens blew so many fourth-quarter leads recently. 

"He has 16 total touchdowns and 15 turnovers in the fourth quarter in the last three years, while the Ravens have blown the most seven-point leads in the fourth quarter in a three-year span in NFL history (nine)."

Seeing Jackson so low on this list can be disheartening, especially when Daniel Jones is the quarterback immediately above him.

As Clawson notes, though, Jackson and the Ravens as a team have to improve late in games. That stat about Baltimore's blown leads is particularly upsetting, and having a nearly-even touchdown-interception ratio certainly contributed to that problem.

Even last year, the best passsing season of Jackson's career, late interceptions cost Baltimore multiple games. Specifically against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 8, when a Jackson interception in the end zone led directly to the go-ahead touchdown, and against the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 12, when a late pick six by cornerback Greg Newsome II would've tied the game if not for a missed extra point. There's also the fact that a fourth-quarter interception all but ended the Ravens' comeback hopes against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, even if it was already looking grim.

Jackson is a ridiculously talented player and appears capable of leading his team to the promised land, but in order to do so, he will have to improve when push comes to shove.

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