Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens started this season off strong by winning their first two games, and some were talking about them possibly being Super Bowl contenders. However, they hit a bit of a snag on Sunday when they lost in overtime to the Indianapolis Colts, 22-19.
The loss was all the more frustrating because of the fact that the Colts were missing rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, who was out because of a concussion. Backup QB Gardner Minshew II got the start and completed 27 of 44 passes, not exactly a stellar completion percentage.
Baltimore signal-caller Lamar Jackson completed 22 of 31 passes, and although he didn’t throw a single touchdown pass, he scored two himself on the ground while gaining 101 yards himself. It made him the first quarterback in NFL history to ever complete at least 70 percent of his passes and also tally at least 150 rushing yards in the first three games of a season, per Doug Clawson.
Just a few months ago, it looked like Jackson’s days in Baltimore were over. He had been asking for a big new contract for quite some time, and the team said no, leading to him being placed on its non-exclusive franchise tag.
But in the end, the Ravens gave him a five-year, $260 million deal, and perhaps it has liberated and rejuvenated him.
He has a couple of new weapons in Odell Beckham Jr., a three-time Pro Bowler, and rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers. While Beckham isn’t putting up major numbers, he has given Jackson a wideout he can count on in certain situations, while Flowers has 21 catches for 188 yards through three games.
With five winnable games coming up, the Ravens have an opportunity to distance themselves from most other AFC teams in the standings and establish themselves as a legitimate contender moving forward.
