The Baltimore Ravens have managed a winning regular season record every year except 2021 after drafting Lamar Jackson in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. However, the star QB has never managed to go past the AFC Championship game.
An NFL analyst shed light on how important it is for Jackson to lead the Ravens to a deep postseason run this time around.
Pressure Mounts on Lamar Jackson to Lead Ravens to the Super Bowl
The Ravens finished the 2024 regular season with an impressive 12-5 record, clinching the AFC North, toppling the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-14 in the Wild Card round.
However, the journey ended with a thrilling 27-25 loss against the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. While Jackson threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns, Baltimore came two points short in the end.
Although Jackson has spearheaded the Ravens into the postseason six out of seven seasons in his career, the two-time NFL MVP has never played in a Super Bowl. NFL Analyst Field Yates believes that the expectations have skyrocketed for the Ravens, and he needs to deliver this season.
“The Ravens, last year, had one of the worst pass rush win rates in the entire NFL,” Yates said during an episode of the “NFL on ESPN.” “They couldn’t get a lot of pressure in some of the biggest moments this past season.”
“When they lost to Buffalo and Philadelphia, two of the league’s elite teams, they managed just five pressures. That’s not gonna cut it. In some ways, that’s the reflection of the pass rush, but the pass rush often is as good as the secondary behind it. Sometimes the secondary is as good as the pass rush in front of it.”
Yates went on to say that the Ravens can’t afford to make mistakes in the upcoming season.
“So now, on paper, this should be a no-excuses year for Baltimore. I don’t sit there and identify a single area on the roster where I say, ‘uh, I’m not so sure that’s quality enough to potentially compete for a championship.'”
“Baltimore feels like they have sort of built this thing and built this thing and built it further, that this year, the bar will not be measured by doing things in the playoffs, it’s going to be holding the Lombardi trophy in Santa Clara, California, comfortably,” he further added.
“On paper, this should be a no-excuses year for Baltimore.”@FieldYates breaks down how the Ravens’ offseason raised expectations for Lamar Jackson and the squad 📈 pic.twitter.com/6Z2dBvp368
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 20, 2025
The Ravens are returning most starters from last season’s 12-5 team and have added several key pieces, including wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, cornerback Jaire Alexander, and rookie safety Malaki Starks, to an already stacked roster.
Overall, in the playoffs, Jackson has played in eight games and has gone 3-5. He’s completed 60.6% of his passes for 1,753 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also has 94 carries for 641 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
However, during the regular season, Jackson is 70-24 all-time as a starting quarterback. He’s completed 64.9% of his passes for 20,059 yards, 166 touchdowns, and 49 interceptions. He’s also added 1,014 carries for 6,173 yards and 33 touchdowns as a runner.
As is clear, Jackson has been a fantastic player in the regular season with his two MVP awards, three-time first-team All-Pro nods, a QB+ grade of 99.8 (best in the league in 2024-25), and four Pro Bowl appearances.
However, he has yet to deliver in a big way for the Ravens in the playoffs, and with each passing year, the pressure is mounting on him.