Star quarterback Lamar Jackson gained his second Most Priceless Participant Award winner in February however continues to face questions concerning his capability to information his Baltimore Ravens the place they need to go coming off their loss to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on this 12 months’s AFC Championship Recreation.
Jackson delivered fairly a message to critics throughout a latest dialog with Adam Schein of SiriusXM’s Mad Canine Sports activities Radio, as shared by Andrew Battifarano of the New York Submit.
“I’m motivating myself as a result of I do know what I need to do on the finish of the day,” Jackson instructed Schein. “These guys have their time. I actually don’t care what the criticism is, what the critics say as a result of, on the finish of the day, I simply got here off an injury the 12 months earlier than and we made it all the way in which to the AFC [Championship Game] within the new system. It’s nothing to be down on myself, my teammates or something like that as a result of we made it far.”
The 2023 Ravens entered the playoffs because the AFC’s No. 1 seed with a report of 13-4, and Baltimore then thrashed the Houston Texans 34-10 within the divisional spherical. Nevertheless, the eventual Tremendous Bowl champion Chiefs marched into Baltimore’s M&T Financial institution Stadium and earned a 17-10 victory within the convention title conflict that dropped Jackson’s profession playoff report to 2-4.
That was Jackson’s first journey to an AFC championship.
Former New England Patriots vast receiver and present Fox NFL analyst Julian Edelman just lately generated some headlines when he stated that Jackson has “been on a milk carton” and gone “lacking” when the Ravens have wanted him most. Jackson indicated throughout his chat with Schein that he wants no extra bulletin board materials after Baltimore scored solely 10 factors towards Kansas Metropolis this previous January.
“We criticize ourselves greater than anybody else,” Jackson added. “What folks say on the skin, that’s simply their take — and so they can imagine what they need to imagine.”
As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Ravens second among the many betting favorites behind the Chiefs (+300) at +550 odds to characterize the AFC in Tremendous Bowl LIX. Jackson and Co. will look to make an announcement when Baltimore opens the upcoming season at Kansas Metropolis on Thursday, Sept. 5.