Ravens players back QB Lamar Jackson after difficult season - ESPN

A day after one of the most challenging seasons for quarterback Lamar Jackson ended, the Baltimore Ravens backed their two-time NFL Most Valuable Player moving forward.

«I think as long as we have Lamar Jackson, I feel like this team can win a Super Bowl,» Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard said during the Ravens' locker clean-out on Monday. «I guess the biggest thing is he makes this thing go.»

In an injury-filled season in which he missed four games, Jackson finished with a losing record (6-7) for the first time in his eight-year career, totaling his fewest passing yards (2,549) and touchdown passes (21) since 2022. He also recorded a career-low 349 yards rushing.

But, in Sunday night's 26-24 loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jackson nearly carried Baltimore to the AFC North title with a comeback victory. He became the second player in NFL history to throw two go-ahead touchdowns of 50-plus yards in the fourth quarter, joining the Jaguars' David Garrard in 2010.

Jackson and the Ravens were ultimately eliminated from the postseason when Tyler Loop's 44-yard field goal sailed wide right as time expired.

«Right before we went out [in the fourth quarter] and he's like, 'Let's be legendary,'» Ravens offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten said. «That's exactly what he did. He's the best in the NFL.»

Through the first three quarters, Jackson was 5-of-10 for 66 yards with one touchdown and one interception. In the fourth quarter, he completed 6-of-8 passes for 172 yards with touchdown throws of 64 and 50 yards to wide receiver Zay Flowers.

On that 50-yard touchdown pass, Jackson slipped past unblocked nose tackle Keeanu Benton and outside linebacker Alex Highsmith and found a wide-open Flowers.

«He's the most electrifying player