Are we allowed to acknowledge that Lamar Jackson is running out of excuses?
The Ravens just traded for Maxx Crosby, one of the best pass rushers in football. Combined with Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith, Baltimore should have one of the top defenses in the league.
On offense, Zay Flowers finished seventh in receiving yards last season. Derrick Henry was second in rushing. This is not a situation where Lamar Jackson has to carry a weak roster. On paper, this is one of the most complete teams in the NFL.
The sports books agree. As of early March, the Ravens are the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
Admittedly, our opening question is meant to be facetious. Jackson doesn't have to win a Super Bowl this seasonor else. Football does not work like that. Injuries happen. Calls go the wrong way. One bad bounce can end a season. A quarterback can play well and still lose in January.
But it is fair to notice how often Jackson gets the benefit of the doubt compared to other star quarterbacks.
When the Ravens fell short last season, the usual suspects rushed to defend him. Ryan Clark and Cam Newton said it was not Jackson's fault because football is a team sport.
That is true. It is. The problem is that the same grace does not always apply to, say, Josh Allen. Here is how Clark and Ryan covered Allen just a week later:
According to Clark and Newton, Josh Allen is out of excuses because he is the quarterback. Meanwhile, Jackson deserves a pass because football is a team sport.
The disparate treatment of Allen and Jackson is nothing new. Our personal favorite was in 2023, when the Chiefs beat the Bills and Ravens in back-to-back road games in the playoffs. Allen outplayed Jackson against the same Kansas City defense. Yet the likes of Clark, Bomani Jones, Stephen A. Smith, and others defended Jackson while shaming Allen.
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