He could barely keep the ball in his hands against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thanksgiving, but Lamar Jackson still has the faith of one All-Pro Baltimore Ravens teammate.
Do-everything safety Kyle Hamilton remains a believer in his franchise quarterback, despite Jackson losing two fumbles and throwing an interception during the 32-14 defeat. Hamilton downplayed the mistakes, telling reporters after the game, “Even LeBron has an off night,” per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
Frankly, that’s a glib and flip response considering Jackson’s mistake-prone showing at M&T Bank Stadium on Thursday Night Football was far from an outlier. The two-time NFL MVP has looked increasingly erratic since returning from a hamstring problem and subsequently dealing with other lingering injuries.
Jackson continues to insist injury issues aren’t negatively impacting his game, but evidence is mounting to the contrary. Yet, that hasn’t stopped the Ravens’ QB1 from taking the same defiant approach as Hamilton to explaining his funk.
Lamar Jackson Still Believes in Himself Amid Turnovers
When asked how he’ll get out of what is a pretty obvious slump, Jackson put it bluntly, “Just be me. Just be Lamar,” per Hensley.
That might work if Jackson was playing like himself, but he’s far from meeting his usually high standards. Instead, the 28-year-old had trouble holding onto the ball, under pressure and otherwise, against the Bengals, while accuracy was also a major problem.
Jackson missed on 15 of 32 throws and took three sacks against what had been the lowest-ranked defense in the NFL. Baltimore’s star signal-caller couldn’t find his range against relentless blitzing from the Bengals, while Jackson was late with a few throws on the rare occasions the Ravens AFC North rivals kept two safeties deep.
The turnovers remain the biggest concern, with Jackson admitting, “I just got to play consistent. Can’t have turnovers. We’re putting the defense on the field too much,” per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.
While not all of the turnovers were Jackson’s fault — tight end Isaiah Likely lost a fumble going into the end zone and wide receiver Zay Flowers also put the ball on the ground — his acknowledgement of the pressure his mistakes applied to Baltimore’s defense was apt.
Especially when Hamilton and Co. struggled mightily to contain the Bengals in the second half.
Kyle Hamilton, Ravens Couldn’t Stop Joe Burrow, Bengals
Having Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow back in the lineup made the Bengals a more dangerous proposition, despite the Ravens’ recent improvement defensively. Hamilton had a plan for stopping Burrow’s favorite target, All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, but the latter still burned the Ravens for seven catches and 110 yards.
Chase thrived because Burrow made big plays in clutch moments at the business end of the field. He completed only 24 of 46 passes, but Burrow threw a pair of touchdowns.
Hamilton conceded to reporters, including Hensley, Burrow “puts the ball where it needs to be. That’s his forte.” That’s a philosophical response, though Burrow’s skill only partly explained the Bengals’ success on November 27.
The Ravens could’ve done more to unsettle Burrow, but the defense registered just a single sack. A lack of dominant edge-rushers and the inability to generate pressure without sending defensive backs after the passer proved a major liability.
Those things are becoming big enough problems to be on par with Jackson’s growing penchant for turnovers.
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