Lamar Jackson turned up on the heat on Christmas Day as the Baltimore Ravens thrashed the Houston Texans. With this performance and a playoff spot in the bag, many have Jackson as their favorite for this year’s MVP.
However, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB-turned-analyst Chris Simms points out a glaring issue in the 27-year-old’s résumé. This will not hurt Jackson’s MVP chances but will haunt his legacy, per Simms.
Chris Simms Shines a Light on Lamar Jackson’s Playoff Woes
Against the Texans, Jackson registered 168 passing yards, 87 rushing yards, and scored three touchdowns. While the world is raving about the two-time MVP’s credentials, Simms, during his appearance on NBC’s “Pro Football Talk,” highlighted the playoff issues of the quarterback.
“He’s yet to really have a marquee playoff performance,” said Simms. “There’s no game where it’s like he played like yesterday or like we’ve seen him play in other great games.
“So that’s part of what we’re talking about with Lamar. As yeah, we’ve got the playoffs, and we haven’t seen any of this magic in any year and any of the games, really. And that’s what we’re all going to be waiting for.”
In his career, Jackson has made the playoffs four times. His 2-4 playoff record highlights the issues pointed out by Simms. Jackson has 1,324 passing yards and 521 rushing yards, with nine combined TDs to his name in the playoffs.
Jackson’s lack of playoff success and has always been one of the biggest criticisms against him.
The 2016 Heisman Trophy winner broke the record for most rushing yards by a quarterback all-time in the game against the Texans.
Ravens fans hope Jackson breaks a few more records and brings the Lombardi Trophy to Baltimore. They only have one game against the Cleveland Browns remaining before their march toward a Super Bowl title begins.