Eagles Star Shows Respect for Ravens' Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens superstar Lamar Jackson suffered a rare loss against an NFC opponent.

Dec 1, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA;Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson boasts a famously excellent record against NFC opponents, but that couldn't save him or his team in Sunday's 24-19 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

With the loss, Jackson drops to 23-2 as a starter against NFC teams, the other defeat coming against the New York Giants in 2022. The two-time MVP didn't play poorly per se, as he completed 23 of 36 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns while adding 79 rushing yards, but it was far from his best performance. Even his own mother believes he could've played better.

Despite that, Jackson's reputation is not lost on his opponents. After the game, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley gave Jackson the highest praise he possibly could.

"I've got so much respect for Lamar," Barkley said. "He's a two-time MVP for a reason. [He's] probably the best player I've seen with my own eyes. Whether it's on film or seeing him live, just the things he's able to do. But yeah, to be part of the teams that were able to win games; I see that stat all the time. They show his record against NFC teams. But to be part of those two teams to get wins, definitely love that."

Barkley continued his dominant first season in Philadelphia Sunday with 107 rushing yards and touchdown that effectively put the game out of reach. He still leads the league in rushing with 1,499 on the season, increasing his margin over Baltimore's Derrick Henry, who had 82 rushing yards Sunday to give him 1,407 on the season.

Jackson, competitive as ever, was not very cheery after the game. The loss drops the Ravens to 8-5 on the season heading into their bye week, and the growing inconsistency on offense is becoming more and more frustrating.

"We need to be more consistent, [take it] a play at a time," Jackson said. "There are situations in games where our first play is good, but it's a penalty. It's first-and-20. We still get back on track, then we start making positive things happen. We just need to get to that situation and don't try to blame things on one play. A game is not won off one play early in the game. Probably later in the game, [it] probably is, but early in the game, we need to just fix that and move on. That's what we need to do."

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