Lamar Jackson led the Baltimore Ravens to a convincing 28-14 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round. The Ravens were a big favorite to win the game, but games against the Steelers are never easy.
Jackson and his teammates made light work of Pittsburgh. The Ravens ran for 299 yards while having more than 19 minutes of possession compared to the Steelers. The Ravens’ dominant performance made many, including Skip Bayless, confident about the team’s chances of going on a deep playoff run.
Skip Bayless Shows Confidence in Lamar Jackson
Following the Ravens’ win against the Steelers, Bayless expressed his confidence in Jackson’s ability to lead his team to a Super Bowl appearance this season.
“Do I believe Lamar and Co. can beat Josh Allen and the Bills at Buffalo? Absolutely,” said Bayless. “Do I believe Lamar and Co. can beat [Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce] at Kansas City? You bet.”
With this win, Jackson’s playoff record also improved to 3-4, and his performance against the Steelers was arguably his best in his postseason career, posting a QB+ grade of 86.2 (B), the best of his postseason career since at least 2019, as far back as PFN’s QB+ metric‘s data dates.
Lamar Jackson is now 3-4 in the postseason, on his way to being 5-4 heading to the Super Bowl.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 12, 2025
Jackson threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns, completing 76.1% of his throws while also rushing for 81 yards on 15 carries. The Ravens quarterback made no mistakes and showed everyone why he is the favorite to win the MVP award this season.
Most importantly, the Ravens learned from their failed strategy in last season’s AFC Championship Game, where they didn’t run the ball much. Todd Monken, the Ravens’ offensive coordinator, utilized Derrick Henry and Jackson to perfection.
The star running back rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. If the Ravens continue to run the ball like they did against the Steelers, it will be tough for any team in the NFL to stop them from winning the Super Bowl.
Ravens’ Divisional Round Matchup Could Be Huge for Jackson’s Legacy
The Ravens did what they were supposed to do in the Wild Card Round, and now it’s up to the Buffalo Bills to hold their end of the bargain. Josh Allen will go against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, and a win will fix the matchup between the Bills and the Ravens in the Divisional Round.
Allen and Jackson are the two frontrunners to win the MVP award, but the Ravens star seems likely to win it since he was recently named the quarterback of the All-Pro first team.
Jackson getting the nod over Allen could motivate the Bills, who may be determined to show why their team’s quarterback is better. It wouldn’t be a nice look for Jackson if he loses to Allen in the playoffs and then wins the MVP.
The Ravens quarterback has yet to have a signature win against an elite quarterback in the playoffs. Due to this, he has to get a win against Allen next week. If he fails again, the four-time Pro Bowler could be under much scrutiny, as it is not ideal for a player to have as many MVP awards as playoff wins in his first seven seasons in the league.
The Broncos have the opportunity to spoil the blockbuster Divisional Round matchup between the Bills and the Ravens. However, it could be tough for a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix to go to Buffalo and win against a highly motivated quarterback who might have just missed out on the first MVP award of his career.