Lamar Jackson loves being the underdog. Oddly enough, the Baltimore Ravens quarterback remains a polarizing figure, but he has long been a master at proving people wrong.
As a motivational strategy, it is not unique. But if critics didn't respect Jackson and the Ravens, now they do.
At 12-3, Baltimore has the NFL's best record after its brutal 33-19 Christmas Day dismantling of San Francisco, previously hailed as the NFL's most complete team.
The Ravens — who entered the game as 6.5-point underdogs — shattered that illusion as Jackson completed 23 of 35 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a team-high 45 yards, including a signature 30 yards of scrambling.
“I believe we have some guys that are doubted, some guys that have things to prove — on our team — on both sides of the ball,” Jackson said Wednesday. “So I believe that when we are the underdog, we will always rise to the occasion. But for that we have to stay locked up.'
Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are dreaming of Super Bowl glory this season
During a demolition job on the San Francisco 49ers, Jackson (right) leads the NFL's MVP race
After five wins in a row, it doesn't get any easier. The Ravens can earn an important bye and home field advantage in the playoffs on Sunday with a victory over the Miami Dolphins (11-4).
But it helps that Jackson is in the form of his life and looks like a complete player. While both Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are dynamic improvisers, the ever-elusive and highly unpredictable Jackson leads all quarterbacks this season with 786 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
Jackson is a joy to watch, but a nightmare for opposing defenses. Such is his impeccable ability to evade tackles, extend the action and make throws downfield.
Yet he has grown accustomed to his unfair criticism.
In 2016, he became the youngest-ever recipient of the Heisman Trophy – the annual award given to the outstanding player in college football – in Louisville.
Two years later, he left for Baltimore as the last pick of the first round in the 2018 NFL draft.
“They're going to take a Super Bowl away from me. Believe that,” Jackson told Deion Sanders that night.
Critics were quick to jump on Lamar, with some even saying he should move to wide receiver. They haven't gotten rid of him since.
In his second year in the NFL, Jackson was unanimously voted the league's MVP as the Ravens romped to a 14–2 record, securing home field advantage and a costly first-round bye.
But it counted for little as the Ravens fell at the first hurdle, losing 28-12 to the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round.
Jackson was picked up by Baltimore as the last pick of the first round in the 2018 NFL draft
Critics suggested he should transform into a wide receiver, but he excelled at quarterback
“We've just got to keep going, stay locked in and stay focused because we know what it was like in 2019 when we played teams like this and won regular season games,” Jackson said after the San Francisco win.
“When the time came, we didn't finish the season. We'll just keep taking it one day at a time, one practice at a time and one game at a time. That's all I'm focusing on right now.”
It seems a world away, but Jackson and the Ravens started the season in a deadlock.
In his first four years in the NFL, Jackson had the heavyweight Greg Roman as offensive coordinator, but a lack of weapons at receiver had left Baltimore one-dimensional.
When Jackson suffered a PCL injury last year, Baltimore's season ended with a playoff loss at Cincinnati and backup Tyler Huntley at quarterback.
In March, Jackson – who does not have an agent – demanded a trade. He was free to talk and negotiate with any NFL team after the Ravens used the non-exclusive franchise tag, giving Baltimore the right to match any offer. But no team publicly confirmed interest.
Jackson and the Ravens settled their differences in May, with the 26-year-old becoming the NFL's highest-paid player after signing a five-year, $260 million contract that includes $185 million guaranteed.
This offseason, Baltimore worked on diversifying their offenses. Todd Monken came in as offensive coordinator in February. Then Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Odell Beckham Jnr joined before wideout Zay Flowers was picked in the first round of April's draft.
A more complete player than in his MVP year, Jackson is on the verge of setting a career-high in passing yards, throwing for 3,357 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The season started with former unanimous MVP Jackson and the Ravens in a deadlock
Jackson, who doesn't have an agent, is betting on himself and he's backing that conversation this season
Baltimore is a terrifying proposition. With the ball, they can control the clock through a physical run game – overcoming injuries to running backs JK Dobbins and Keaton Mitchell – and produce explosive play with efficient passing.
Without that, they boast a swarming defense that franchise legends Ray Lewis and Ed Reed would be proud of.
Defensive tackle Justin Madubuike is enjoying a breakout season with 12 sacks, while veteran edge rushers Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy – both late free agent picks – are enjoying a renaissance with the Ravens.
Linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen organize the defense and suffocate the ball carriers, while safety Kyle Hamilton (81 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four interceptions, three sacks) is a lock-in for All Pro honors in his second season.
And in Justin Tucker, they have the best kicker in the NFL. With a conversion rate of 90.2 percent, Tucker is as close as you can get to a guaranteed field goal. But at the center of it all is Jackson, who has a 57-19 record in the regular season but is 1-3 in the playoffs.
“He can do anything,” Flowers said this week. “You saw it (Monday). He led it; he threw it; he led the team. That's the MVP.
The Ravens are a formidable opponent for the rest of the NFL because they can dictate on both ends
“You lead your team, you have the best record in the NFL, and he just comes out and keeps coming out and doing what he does, game-in and game-out, even though people say, 'He can't do this . He can't do that,' and he comes out and proves them wrong every time.”
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh added, “I thought Lamar had an MVP performance. It takes a team to pull off a feat like that, but it takes a player to play at that level – to play at an MVP level – it takes a player to play that way.
“And Lamar was all over the field doing everything.”
Underdog or otherwise, Jackson is determined to fulfill his Super Bowl promise and is determined to silence all the doubters once again.