We have all seen the narratives around Lamar throughout the year: “overrated”, “fluke year”, etc. However, I think these narratives are COMPLETELY false, and in fact, they are the furthest thing from true. Lamar Jackson, in my opinion, is the most underrated player in football right now and it is not close.
There has NEVER been a reigning MVP in NFL history this disrespected by the fans and media. It is getting pretty terrible at this point. After the Sunday Night Football loss to New England, many were quick to blame Lamar and his “inability to perform in big games.” I find this take absolutely laughable because if you watched the game you would know Lamar was 0% of the reason Baltimore lost. In fact he played really great. Take a look at these two statlines:
Player A: 248 pass yards, 0 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, loss, perfect weather
Player B: 249 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, loss, torrential downpour
I think most would agree player B had a better outing, especially considering the circumstances.
Player A was Russell Wilson’s statline this past Sunday, who I have not seen one hate post for his performance. Player B was Lamar Jackson Sunday night, who is currently the most hated player in the NFL. It has become apparent all season that Lamar is the only quarterback who isn’t allowed to have a bad game, and when he plays good he still doesn’t get any respect for it. While his statline might not show just how terrible of a situation he had to deal with last night, these facts do:
-Center Matt Skura fumbled THREE snaps. How does that happen? That is embarrassing.
-Ravens receivers proved their incompetence once again last night with multiple key drops, including a WIDE OPEN drop by JK Dobbins on fourth down in the final minute to seal the game.
Another interesting thing is the Lamar vs Kyler debate. I think it is Lamar and it isn’t close. Just because Hopkins did what Hopkins does and made a ridiculous catch, does NOT make Kyler the better player. Here are two more statlines to look at:
Player A: 245 pass yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, win
Player B: 249 pass yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, loss
Once again, very similar statlines. However, Player A, Kyler Murray, is being hailed as the king of football, while Player B is currently public enemy number one.
To recap, Lamar Jackson receives far too much undeserved hate, and whether you would consider him “over-hated” or underrated, he is anything but overrated.
Photo: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
