Jackson Seeks Deep Ravens Run As NFL Playoffs Begin
Published January 10, 2025 | 02:20 AM
Los Angeles, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jan, 2025) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, will try to shake off a troubled history in playoff games when the NFL post-season begins on Saturday.
The first round of the playoffs starts Saturday with the Los Angeles Chargers at Houston and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore, where Jackson hopes to improve on his 2-4 career post-season record.
"I'm just too excited, that's all," Jackson said. "Too antsy, that's all. I'm seeing things before it happens, like, 'Oh, I have to calm myself down.' But just being more experienced, I've found a way to balance it out."
Sunday's games find Denver at Buffalo, Green Bay at Philadelphia and Washington at Tampa Bay with the Los Angeles Rams to face Minnesota on Monday.
The NFL is monitoring developments with the devastating wildfires near Los Angeles and could move the Rams-Vikings clash to Glendale, Arizona, if necessary.
Two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City and the Detroit Lions have first-round byes after finishing the season as top seeds.
Jackson, the reigning NFL MVP, is 70-24 in NFL regular-season games with a 64.9 completion rate and two sacks per contest, but in the playoffs he has a 57.4 percent completion rate, six touchdowns and six interceptions and is sacked 4.3 times a game.
The Ravens average 16 points a playoff game behind Jackson compared to 27.4 points in the regular season.
Jackson is among six NFL quarterbacks with a .700 win percentage over the past 55 years but the only one with a losing playoff record.
"You have to try to be mistake-free," Jackson said. "The game is 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 board -- that's how you win those games."
This season, Jackson threw for a career-best 4,172 yards, threw for a career-high 41 touchdowns with only four interceptions and was the first player to lead the NFL in pass yards per attempt with 8.
