Lamar Jackson ‘angry’ as Ravens’ high-powered offense misses Super Bowl

Lamar Jackson admitted he was disappointed that the offense that helped his team to the NFL’s best regular-season record didn’t materialize with a Super Bowl berth on the line.

The Ravens had won Jackson’s last seven starts entering Sunday’s AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs, averaging 33.9 points per game over that span. But the offense scored just 10 points against Kansas City and committed three turnovers, including a fumble and Jackson interception.

“We’re angry,” Jackson, the favorite for this season’s MVP award, said after Sunday’s 17-10 loss to the Chiefs. “Offensive, we didn’t put anything on the board. We scored once. That’s not like us. We pushed the ball across the field. That is cool. But we have to put points on the board. But I feel like my team is just angry, not frustrated, we’re just angry. We know how hard we worked to get here.”

Jackson had some nice moments on Sunday, including a touchdown pass after somehow avoiding a Leo Chenal sack. But despite the Chiefs’ suffocating defense, he wasn’t nearly as fluid as he has been for most of this season. Sunday’s loss means Jackson now has a 2-4 record in the playoffs, and is fuel for those who think he’s shrinking in the spotlight. He has eight turnovers to four touchdowns in his playoff career. However, his head coach, John Harbaugh, said he isn’t concerned about a player who is still only 27.

“I told him to stand up straight,” Harbaugh said. “He has had a great season, his performance today was all heart. He fought, went out there and gave it everything he had. So I don’t think I would be disappointed with that.”

Meanwhile, the Chiefs are heading to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five years with a chance to become their first back-to-back champions since the 2004 New England Patriots.

“You don’t take it for granted,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. ‘You never know how much you will achieve, or if you will ever get there. So it’s really special to do this with these guys after what we’ve been through all season. Guys coming together, it’s really special. But I told them, ‘The job is not done yet.’ Our job now is to prepare to play a good football team in the Super Bowl and try to get that ring.”