Lamar Jackson was fired up heading into the bye and he's coming out of it with the same energy.
Immediately after suffering a frustrating 24-19 loss to the Eagles in Week 13, Jackson said he was ready to play the Giants. He said Wednesday that the bye week was a "breath of fresh air," but that his mind is back locked in.
"I'm still fired up. Nothing's changed," Jackson said. "I'm antsy right now. I'm hyped."
The Ravens offense is looking to get hot again after a three-game stretch when the offense hasn't been as potent. Baltimore averaged more than 34 points per game from Weeks 3-10 and 21.6 over the past three games.
Jackson said he's not concerned with trying to replicate what the Ravens were doing earlier this year, and his takeaway from the Eagles loss was that every game might not be a high-scoring affair.
"It's going to be a slow game; it won't be one of those high-scoring games," Jackson said. "Sometimes it might [be,] but nine times out of 10, it's going to be one of those low-scoring games, [and] we just have to find a way to win."
Jackson has dropped to fourth place in the current MVP odds, per The Athletic. He now trails Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, and Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff.
Winning his third MVP isn't Jackson's focus as the Ravens kick off their four-game stretch to close out the regular season, looking to get hot and make a playoff run.
"I'm going to try to play [at an] MVP level every game I'm in; it really doesn't matter," Jackson said. "I just have to focus on one game at a time, and just me being who I am. I don't really care about me being MVP Lamar. I feel like I'm doing that regardless."
If that means running more, as his mother suggested following the Eagles loss, so be it.
"If I get the opportunity, no doubt," Jackson said. "I'm still going to play football though. Yes sir."
Sunday's game against the Giants will be No. 100 for Jackson in his career, not including the playoffs. Jackson was asked what that means to him.
"That means I'm getting old; that's what that means," Jackson said. "One hundred games? Dang. But for me just being a dual-threat quarterback ... They say we don't really last that long in the league, and for me to make it to 100 games, that's just dope, that's just God. God gets all the glory for that. I'm thankful."
