CBS Announcer Kevin Harlan Likens Jackson to Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James
The two most iconic highlight-reel plays of Jackson's career have a couple things in common: They both took place in Cincinnati and both were called by veteran CBS play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan.
Who could forget Harlan exclaiming, "Oh, he broke his ankles! He is Houdini!" on Jackson's spinning, 47-yard touchdown scamper in 2019? After Jackson stiff-armed Hubbard on the touchdown-pass to Likely on Sunday, Harlan said, "Oh, he threw him away like a rag doll!"
Harlan talked about how he prepares for calling Jackson's games during an interview on 105.7 The Fan yesterday.
"It's not unlike on TNT in the NBA when we had a [Michael] Jordan game, or a Kobe [Bryant] game, or a LeBron [James] game, because you know that you're witnessing something that is one of one," Harlan said. "… You're going to see something that could be unusual, but you don't plan for it because then it would sound like it's contrived. You let it come in the paces of the game."
When Jackson makes spectacular plays in the future, as we know he will, hopefully Harlan will again be there to provide the soundtrack.
Pundit Says Jackson's Incredible TD Pass to Isaiah Likely Was Best Play He's Ever Seen From a QB
Head Coach John Harbaugh described Jackson's phenomenal touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely late in the fourth quarter Sunday as "an incredible, fabulous play that will go down in history."
Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr went a step further, saying he thinks "it was the best play I've ever seen a quarterback make in my life."
"Just pure athletic ability, all the things that you had to do," Orr said. "You drop the snap; you stiff-armed [Bengals defensive end] Sam Hubbard, who earlier in that game obliterated Derrick Henry, so Sam Hubbard's a giant dude who is very strong; and then somehow you throw that ball to Isaiah Likely.
"What play is more unbelievable than that, just on its own? You show these to aliens … I think that play they're just like, 'My god, that's unheard of.'"
Anticipation Building for 'Game of the Year' Between Ravens and Commanders
Some have called the Ravens' 41-38 win over the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday the Game of the Year thus far.
It may be. But this Sunday's game between the Ravens and Washington Commanders could take that title.
The matchup of first-place teams features two of the leading MVP candidates in Lamar Jackson and Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Commanders lead the league in scoring (31 points per game), and the Ravens are second (29.4).
"You want to talk about the Game of the Year?" Good Morning Football's Peter Schrager said. "Jayden Daniels and the Commanders are coming to Baltimore Sunday, and I don't think anyone circled that, but you want to talk about Lamar and what he's doing and then Jayden and what he's doing. I cannot wait to see these two young quarterbacks play."
NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha also is excited about the game between neighbors.
"Washington has been one of the league's biggest surprises early in the season, as it has posted four straight victories since a Week 1 loss at Tampa Bay. Baltimore has been hot, as well. The Ravens are riding a three-game win streak after starting the year 0-2," Chadiha wrote. "Both teams have exciting quarterbacks and plenty of momentum. In other words, the DMV will be rocking next weekend."
Ravens' Success This Season Credited to How They Develop Their Players and Coaches
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said the Ravens' strong rebound from an 0-2 start is a reflection of Harbaugh's trust in the organization's program.
"As Harbaugh sees it, what's happened over the past month is very much a story about people, and how the program he's helped establish over decades in Baltimore develops them at every level," Breer wrote. "This year, in particular, was one in which the Ravens needed that machine to hum."
Breer noted how well the Ravens have adapted after losing key players and coaches this offseason.
"Other teams in that position would've scrambled to find experienced stopgaps," Breer wrote. "The Ravens effectively did the opposite, operating like a baseball team in love with the prospects it had coming up from the Triple-A club. … [Harbaugh trusted] that GM Eric DeCosta and his staff got more of these things right than they got wrong, which historically is a good bet.
"In a certain way, it mirrors how the organization once gambled on Harbaugh, seeing something in a charismatic special teams coach that others might've missed. So when things got tough in September, Harbaugh wasn't about to flip the script."
Ravens Being Hailed As NFL's Best Team
The Ravens have risen to No. 1 in ESPN's Football Power Index, and there is a growing sentiment that they might be the best team in the league after five weeks.
Here are some clips of pundits talking about the Ravens:
