During the 2019 NFL season, Lamar Jackson led the Baltimore Ravens to the best record in the AFC. They were expected to make a run to the AFC Championship Game to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. That matchup was highly anticipated, but it did not end up happening.
In their first playoff matchup in the Divisional Round, the Ravens ended up falling to the surprising Tennessee Titans. They lost the game by a final score of 28-12, which means that their dynamic offense simply did not show up.
Jackson won the NFL MVP award for the 2019 season, however, and the expectations for him in 2020 are sky high. Last season, he ended up completing 66.1 percent of his pass attempts for 3,127 yards, 36 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. He also racked up 1,206 yards on the ground to go along with another seven touchdowns.
Looking ahead to the 2020 season, Jackson will be asked to take the next step with the Ravens. He was an amazing regular season quarterback, but once again came up short in the playoffs. That cannot continue happening.
At just 23 years old, Jackson has already worked his way to the top of the rankings at the quarterback position. Patrick Mahomes is still ahead of him, but very few others receive that kind of credit.
All of that being said, let's take a look at three early predictions for Lamar Jackson with the Ravens this season.
3. Jackson Will Not Use His Legs Nearly As Much
While everyone loves watching Jackson get out of the pocket and making plays with his legs, the Ravens want him to cut back on that aspect of his game. Dynamic quarterbacks who run too much usually end up getting hurt.
Even though he will not run the ball as much as he did in 2019, Jackson is going to be used for his skill set. The Ravens are simply going to do things more cautiously. Fans should be expecting to see less dynamic running, but more runs for Jackson planned carefully into the game plan.
Simply sliding rather than trying to make the dazzling move to pick up more yardage would suffice. Jackson is going to be feared through the air and on the ground, but he needs to modify his game a bit for the longevity of his career.
2. He Will Finish No. 2 In MVP Voting
Some believe that Jackson will end up repeating as the NFL MVP winner in 2020. However, he won't quite reach that distinguished honor. He will finish second in voting behind Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Baltimore did not go out and make any massive moves at wide receiver to help Jackson. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown will be the team's top wide receiver, while names such as Willie Snead, Miles Boykin, and Devin Duvernay will follow up behind him. Jackson will be able to put up numbers with those guys as his weapons, but it won't be quite enough to earn the award.
1. The Ravens Will Make A Super Bowl Run With Jackson Leading The Way
Finally, there is one massive bold prediction to be made for Jackson this season. That would be the third-year quarterback coming in and leading the Ravens to the Super Bowl.
He may not end up beating out Mahomes for the MVP award, but he will beat him out on the field in the playoffs. Baltimore will move past the Chiefs in the playoffs to make a Super Bowl run. They will finally get over the hump and prove that they deserve to be viewed among the NFL's elite.
It has been a tough journey for the Ravens to get back to this point, but drafting Jackson at No. 32 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft was the beginning of reaching this goal. Jackson is going to have another big year and the Ravens are going to have an even bigger year.
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