Is Stephen A. Smith's Criticism of Lamar Jackson an Overreaction?
Bombastic ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith is the worldwide leader in hot takes, and Lamar Jackson has been the subject of a number of them over the years, both positive and negative.
Predictably, Smith had a blistering take on Jackson after the Ravens blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter of a 26-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in their home opener Sunday.
"I'm going to put a lot of it on Lamar Jackson," Smith said on “First Take.” "Two-time league MVP, and you have a situation where you have a 10-point lead with 12 minutes left, and yet again you can't hold onto it. And, oh by the way, the Baltimore Ravens for the first time in Lamar Jackson's career have lost three straight games — the AFC Championship Game and then games one and two of this season. The man hasn't won his last three starts. When are we going to look at him?
"You got your bag. You got the MVP statue. You the man. Go out there and figure it out. It's really that simple. Now I'm not saying he has to do it by himself, because we know better than that. But the reality is that the game was there for you to win."
The Baltimore Banner's Kyle Goon was less harsh in his assessment of Jackson.
"A week before in Kansas City, Jackson all but donned a cape as he and Isaiah Likely were a toe away from having a chance to tie the game with the defending champions," Goon wrote. "We know Jackson is capable of greatness. But that version of him wasn't there in the fourth quarter against the Raiders, and Jackson has to know it.
"As incredible as his across-the-body throw to Zay Flowers was, he missed targets downfield when he had time, like overthrowing Mark Andrews in the second quarter. The two three-and-outs before the final drive were damning for the whole offense, but Jackson bears more weight simply because he's the best player. … Jackson is not the only reason the Ravens lost. No one is saying that. But the Ravens could have used hero stuff from Jackson in that fourth quarter. We know he has it in him."
Sports Illustrated’s Nathaniel Marrero contended that Smith putting much of the blame on Jackson is misplaced.
"Penalties and a shaky offensive line have often placed the Ravens' offense behind the 8-ball and often slowed them down in their tracks before they could sustain any momentum," Marrero wrote. "No drive illustrated that quite like the one after Las Vegas tied it up at 23-23. On the first offensive play with the game tied, Maxx Crosby had his second sack of the game, causing the offense to lose nine yards, effectively thwarting any chance they had to go on a game-winning drive before it even started.
"Can Jackson be better? Absolutely, but more times than not, he's the reason the Ravens are in the game to begin with. If the Ravens can fix their issues surrounding Jackson, odds are the two-time MVP will return to form and they'll have a chance to return to form."
Head Coach John Harbaugh made the point yesterday that Jackson is the least of the Ravens' concerns.
"I'll say this, the most consistent player we have, consistently executing and consistently playing is Lamar on offense," Harbaugh said. "Lamar is playing very well. He's making good decisions, he's taking charge of the offense, he's making throws, he's moving around when he has to, [and] he's running the ball."
On a side note, Jackson is the fourth reigning MVP of the Super Bowl era to start 0-2. The others are Kurt Warner with the 2002 St. Louis Rams, Joe Theismann with 1984 Washington, and Brian Sipe with the 1981 Cleveland Browns.
Washington rallied to go 11-5 and win the NFC East. The Rams finished 7-9 (after an 0-5 start) and the Browns went 5-11.
Pundits Say Ravens Shouldn't Panic After 0-2 Start
NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha and The Ringer’s Nora Princiotti each looked at which of the NFL's nine 0-2 teams should panic. Here's what each had to say about the Ravens:
Chadiha: "The Ravens have too much talent to envision a complete meltdown, but starting 0-2 is something this team rarely does. It's only happened once since John Harbaugh became the head coach — in 2015 — and what's discouraging is that there are a multitude of problems. The defense is going through its share of growing pains under new coordinator Zach Orr, as that unit gave up a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead in Sunday's 26-23 loss to Las Vegas. The offense has struggled when it comes to critical moments, as well. .. One of the few things the Ravens can point to for positivity is the fact that a handful of plays have kept them from being 2-0. A slow start in a deep AFC can be ominous — especially since this team's next three games are against Dallas, Buffalo and Cincinnati — but Baltimore has too much talent and quality coaching to be counted out so early. Verdict: Patience."
Princiotti: "Like the Bengals, the Ravens benefit from the fact that their main division rival has also stumbled out of the gate. Unlike Cincinnati, though, Baltimore seems to be heading in the wrong direction. Losing to the Chiefs by a toe in Week 1 is no big deal, but blowing a 10-point lead in the third quarter and falling to the Gardner Minshew–led Raiders in Week 2? That should cause a bit more alarm. The biggest cause for concern is that the right side of this offensive line, particularly right guard Daniel Faalele, is nonviable for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. After Chris Jones disrupted Baltimore's offense in the season opener, Maxx Crosby wreaked havoc with twists and stunts on Sunday, focusing his attention on the right side of the Ravens line. The constant pressure forced Baltimore into the blandest version of its offensive playbook. Panic meter: 3/10. It's probably fine? Right?"
On a related note, ESPN's Bill Barnwell ranked the winless teams by their chances of turning things around. The Ravens were No. 2, behind the Bengals.
"There's work to be done here," Barnwell wrote. "The defense has to take away the big plays. I'd like to see more consistent play from the offense. Jackson seemed to find more rhythm in the second half [against the Raiders] once the ground game got going. As the Ravens travel to face a Cowboys team that just got mauled by the Saints' running game, focusing on the run seems like a natural place to start for Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken as they build this week's game plan.
"Baltimore actually lost three straight in the middle of the 2020 season and made it to the postseason, but it needed to win out over its five subsequent games to get there. We're not quite in win-out world if they lose to Dallas next week, but that wouldn't be far off."
Keaton Mitchell Gives Positive Update on His Recovery
Here's some news that should brighten Ravens' fans spirits: explosive running back Keaton Mitchell's recovery from a torn ACL is going well.
Mitchell, who is on the physically unable to perform list after suffering the knee injury last December, posted on social media that he is getting up to speed.
Mitchell is expected to return at some point this season. At the start of training camp, Harbaugh said Mitchell was on, or maybe ahead, of schedule.
Mitchell burst onto the scene as an undrafted rookie last year, rushing for 396 yards in eight games. He averaged a whopping 8.4 yards per carry, had seven rushes of 20 or more yards, and scored two touchdowns.
Gold Medalist Wrestler and Ex-WWE Star Reportedly Worked Out for Ravens
Former amateur and professional wrestling standout Gable Stevenson reportedly worked out for the Ravens yesterday.
Stevenson, 24, won the gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2020 Olympics and was a two-time NCAA Division I heavyweight champion wrestler at the University of Minnesota. He briefly performed as a pro wrestler for WWE before being released earlier this year.
The 6-foot-1, 265-pound Stevenson signed with the Buffalo Bills as a defensive tackle this spring despite having never played football at any level. He was released by the Bills in August after seeing action in three preseason games.
