Lamar Jackson believes that an inability to control his emotions cost him in recent playoffs, but the Baltimore Ravens quarterback doesn’t expect that to be an issue in Saturday’s wild-card matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I’d just be too excited,” Jackson said Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. “That’s all. Too antsy. I’m seeing things before it happened, like, ‘Oh, I got to calm myself down.’ But just being more experienced, I’ve found a way to balance it out.”
Jackson has been one of the NFL’s best QBs and can add a third regular-season MVP award to his resume this season, but he hasn’t been able to replicate that success in the playoffs. The Ravens are 70-24 with Jackson during the regular season but only 2-4 in the postseason.
“You got to try to be mistake-free,” Jackson added. “The game’s won with the turnover battle and keeping the ball in your control, moving the ball down the field, getting first downs, putting points on the ball. Obviously, that’s how you win those games.”
Jackson has accounted for over two touchdowns in just one playoff game.
The 28-year-old helped Baltimore finish as the AFC’s 1-seed in 2023 and reach the conference title game, but the team fell short against the Kansas City Chiefs, who limited the Ravens to only 10 points.
“That’s probably the only playoff game I do think about,” he said.
Jackson had a spectacular regular season, becoming the first QB in NFL history with at least 4,000 passing yards and 900 rushing yards in the same campaign. He’s also the only player ever to throw for 40-plus touchdowns with no more than five interceptions (four).
Jackson is a top MVP candidate, but Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is currently the favorite for the league’s most prestigious individual award.
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