ESPN Host Blasts Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

The ESPN favorites didn't hold back talking about the Baltimore Ravens quarterback.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) leaps over Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jakorian Bennett (0) during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium. / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

There's plenty of blame to go around for the Baltimore Ravens after their 0-2 start to the season.

Whether it's the penalties, the inability to sustain a drive on offense when it matters most or struggles protecting Lamar Jackson, costly penalties on defense or Justin Tucker's struggles kicking from beyond 50 yards, it's not hard to see why Baltimore is off to its worst start since 2015.

For Stephen A. Smith, a host on ESPN's show First Take, a bulk of the blame falls at Jackson's feet given the opportunities Baltimore had to pull away and his standing as a two-time MVP.

"When we gonna look at him?" Smith quipped. "You got your bag. You got the MVP stature. You the man, go out there and figure it out. It's really, really that simple. Now, I'm not saying that he has to do it by himself, because we know better than that, but the reality is, the game was there for you to win. You had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter with 12 minutes left."

"You get the ball back too when the opposing team puts the ball in the end zone. What [are] you gonna do about it? How many fourth-quarter leads are you gonna lose? That's a legitimate question and I think that he needs to answer."

This isn't the first time Baltimore has blown a big lead late in the ballgame. In the last five seasons, the Ravens have lost 10 games when they've had a lead of seven or more points in the fourth quarter, by far the most in the league. Five of those losses have come since 2022.

Jackson hasn't necessarily lit the world on fire, but putting most of the blame at his feet is a bit misplaced. Penalties and a shaky offensive line have often placed the Ravens' offense behind the 8-ball and often slowed them down in their tracks before they could sustain any momentum.

No drive illustrated that quite like the one after Las Vegas tied it up at 23-23. On the first offensive play with the game tied, Maxx Crosby had his second sack of the game, causing the offense to lose nine yards, effectively thwarting any chance they had to go on a game-winning drive before it even started.

Can Jackson be better? Absolutely, but more times than not, he's the reason the Ravens are in the game to begin with. If the Ravens can fix their issues surrounding Jackson, odds are the two-time MVP will return to form and they'll have a chance to return to form.

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