Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is, without a doubt, one of the best players in the NFL. But, as the saying goes, all the winnings and awards under Jackson don't mean a thing without a ring. That saying has led to a debate between First Take‘s Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Clark on who needs to step up: Jackson or Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. While Smith went after Prescott, Clark went after Jackson, providing an immense challenge to Baltimore's superstar.
“It's Lamar Jackson,” said Clark when debating Smith. “Lamar Jackson is a better quarterback than Dak Prescott. Lamar Jackson is on a historical run. Lamar Jackson, if he retired, we'd be discussing whether he should be a Hall-of-Famer right now without his career being over. Ever since we saw this dude, he's been the best player. You think about what we saw at Louisville his first year – he won the Heisman. He comes into the league and wins the MVP as a second-year player.
“But what does he do in the playoffs? He folds! So, you get to this season, and he is a better regular-season quarterback than Patrick Mahomes. If you look at Dak Prescott and feel like Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson are on the same tier of quarterback, you're worse than Cari yesterday saying Dak Prescott can beat Patrick Mahomes.”
“I did not say that,” replied Smith, defending the Ravens quarterback. “What I'm saying is two playoff victories in eight years. That's a narrative far more significant than Lamar Jackson not being able to get past Patrick Mahomes to get to a Super Bowl! He was just in the AFC Championship game!”
“But you got to win it,” said Clark, dropping the mic and the challenge on Jackson and the Ravens.
Can the Ravens win it all with Lamar Jackson?
In six seasons with Jackson at the helm, the Ravens are 58-19 during the regular season. Baltimore has also won the AFC North three times in that span. However, Jackson transforms from a two-time MVP to a six-time chump during the playoffs, owning a 2-4 record.
For the most part, Jackson has struggled to make it past the Divisional Round. That ended last season when he led Baltimore to an AFC Championship appearance for the first time in twelve years. Unfortunately, Jackson's playoff demons still found him. Many favored the Ravens to advance to the Super Bowl but lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
However, despite the loss, Jackson needs help on offense. So, this season, the goal is to make Jackson's life easier under center. Significant additions, such as Derrick Henry, were brought in to help accomplish that. Maybe that'll be enough for Jackson and the Ravens to reach the Super Bowl and to silence critics like Clark.
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