Being a Florida guy, Lamar Jackson isn't a fan of the cold. He's been quite clear about that over the years.
But Jackson will do whatever it takes to win. And if that means not wearing gloves, that's what he'll do.
Jackson will play in the coldest game of his career thus far Sunday night in Buffalo. The temperature at kickoff is currently projected to be 12 degrees with a wind chill of 2 degrees.
Asked if he would wear gloves, Jackson said, "No. I tried that in practice, [and] I was horrible. I'll leave that up to 'Teddy two gloves,' Teddy Bridgewater. Shoutout to Teddy.
"Hopefully, we'll have some heaters on the sideline. [I'll have] a bigger jacket probably. I have to talk to [head equipment manager] Kenico [Hines] to see what he has going on. The equipment guys – they pretty much do a great job, so we should be good."
Jackson's previous coldest games were 27 degrees at kickoff – in Kansas City in 2018 and last year's divisional playoff game against the Texans in Baltimore.
Though Jackson doesn't like the cold, he has a 3-1 record in games at or below freezing, including last Saturday's 28-14 wild-card win against the Steelers. He didn't seem affected by the cold then, as he completed 16 of 21 passes.
Last week, Head Coach John Harbaugh noted to visiting legendary ESPN sports broadcaster Chris Berman how well Jackson was throwing the ball, even in cold temperatures and wind, at practice.
Why the Ravens Didn't Practice Outside
Though the Ravens are in store for an ice box at Highmark Stadium, they did not practice outdoors Wednesday for a very simple reason.
The ground is frozen.
"We got it as cold as we can in here right now, and it will be even colder tomorrow, when I get all the water shut off in here so the pipes don't freeze," Harbaugh said. "So we'll have it cold. Would love to be outside, but we just can't. The fields are too hard and they're too frozen."
Bills Sign Former Ravens Quarterback to Help Prepare for Jackson
Looking to try to simulate Jackson in practice, and perhaps get any tips on Baltimore's offense, the Bills signed former Ravens quarterback Anthony Brown Wednesday.
Browns played in two games and started one for the Ravens in 2022.
"There's only one Lamar Jackson," Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott said earlier this week. "You do the best you can to try and simulate it. Good luck."
Brown is their answer for the week.
Rashod Bateman Has Become a Touchdown Monster
Rashod Bateman had four touchdowns over his first three injury-plagued seasons. This year, he's turned into a touchdowns monster.
Bateman posted nine touchdowns in the regular season, which was the second-most on the Ravens behind Mark Andrews and tied for ninth-most in the league.
Bateman had another in the Ravens' wild-card playoff win over the Steelers, kicking off Baltimore's scoring when he hung onto Jackson's needle-threaded dart in the back of the end zone despite traffic in front of him. It was Bateman's first playoff touchdown.
Bateman has scored five touchdowns in the Ravens' past four games.
"I think he runs great routes," Harbaugh said. "It's a tight area, things happen fast in the red zone, and a good route-runner is a big deal. People assume it's just size and 50-50 go get a ball type thing, but the value of route-running in the red zone really goes up."
Anthony Miller Credits Lamar Jackson for Helping Him Become a Raven
As wide receiver Anthony Miller continued to train after barely spending time on an NFL team last season, he decided to reach out to Jackson as "one of my last resorts." The two met at the rookie premiere after the 2018 NFL Draft, and Miller still had Jackson's number saved.
"One day, I just hit him up during the summer," Miller said. "And I was like, 'How is your guys' receiver room looking?' And he was like, 'We can always use the help.' And him knowing me and my skill set, two days later, they called me in for a workout. I killed the workout, and it's been up from there ever since."
Miller got to Baltimore during training camp and has spent the entire season on the Ravens' practice squad. In Week 16, he played in his first regular season game since late 2021, and he was active the next week, catching his only target for 16 yards.
Miller had three catches for 12 yards in Baltimore's wild-card win over the Steelers, and with Zay Flowers' status in question for the Divisional Round against the Bills, Miller could be a factor again. It's something the 30 year old isn't taking for granted after bouncing in and out of the league.
"It's just been a humbling experience being away from the game for so long," Miller said. "And it made me appreciate a lot of things about the game. And I was fortunate enough to come to a great organization that gave me a chance. And I've taken full advantage, so I'm just excited for what's to come."