Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens were favored to win on the road against the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. It was the most anticipated game of this season’s playoffs, as it was the battle between the two MVP finalists, Jackson and Josh Allen.
Unfortunately for Jackson, he had a terrible first half, and his team trailed by 21-10 at halftime. The two-time NFL MVP made multiple mistakes, and similar to previous seasons, could become the reason why his team gets eliminated early in the postseason.
Fans Criticize Lamar Jackson for First-Half Performance
Jackson was 6-of-10 passing for 123 yards and a touchdown in the first half against the Bills. However, he threw a bad interception and also fumbled the ball once, which shifted all the momentum toward the Bills.
The Ravens quarterback has historically not played as well in the playoffs, so this type of performance would obviously result in criticism from everyone worldwide.
Fans on social media didn’t hold back from calling out Jackson, and they also criticized his being the favorite to win MVP this season.
Here are some of the reactions:
LAMAR JACKSON TURNOVER MACHINE 😂😂
— Wynnsanity (@Wynnsanity) January 20, 2025
“Lamar is the Dak Prescott of the AFC. A choker in big games” wrote one fan.
“Lamar fumbling his MVP,” said a fan.
Yea Lamar Jackson aint MVP, seen enough.
Only way he salvages it, is by throwing for 300 yards and 2 tuddy and bust a 50 yard run for a td
— Vic (@oStingrays) January 20, 2025
“These voters should feel dumb as hell when Lamar gets handed this MVP,” said a fan.
Another fan added, “Right now, it’s looking like Lamar is lucky they don’t count the playoffs for MVP.”
Lamar seeing ghosts
— Josiah 🪐 (@izzymarss) January 20, 2025
Allen completely outplayed Jackson in the first half and proved to everyone why he should be the favorite to win the MVP. The Bills quarterback completed five of his seven throws for 69 yards, rushed for two touchdowns, and made no errors as his team cruised through the first half.
The winner of this game will play against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, and based on how the game has played out so far, the Bills seem well on their way to Arrowhead Stadium.
Jackson Is Under Immense Pressure To Win Against Josh Allen
Coming into the game against the Bills, Jackson had a record of 3-4 in the playoffs. He played quite well in the Ravens’ Wild Card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but that will go to waste if he doesn’t have a big half against the Bills.
Since he is expected to win the MVP this season, given his first-team All-Pro status, the Ravens quarterback will be held to a different standard than others. A loss in the Divisional Round to a Bills team whose roster is considered inferior to the Ravens could be a massive blown opportunity for Jackson’s legacy.
If things don’t change in the second half, Jackson will start next season with the same number of MVP awards as wins in playoffs. That is a spot a player of his caliber would not like to be in.
Since the Ravens are down by 11 points at halftime, they have to rely on their quarterback to make big plays as running the ball with Derrick Henry might not help turn around the deficit. It will be intriguing to see how Jackson will perform under adversity in the second half.
