Lamar Jackson has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL over the last couple of years although it's become quite clear that in some of his biggest games, he comes up short. For instance, Jackson is 0-2 in the playoffs and is also 0-3 against the likes of Patrick Mahomes and the Baltimore Ravens. Simply put, Jackson hasn't been able to prove that he can get it done when it matters.
This was on display yesterday as Jackson and the Ravens took on the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers. In the end, the Steelers came out victorious as Jackson threw for two interceptions, and couldn't win the game on the final drive. Today on ESPN's First Take, Max Kellerman wasn't impressed with Jackson and had some harsh words about his performance.
"So why is it Lamar can't play well under those conditions," Kellerman asked of Lamar while under pressure. "I think it has a little less to do with forcing him to become a pocket passer and a little more to do with him not being able to do it with the chips on the line. Be very clear this doesn't mean he can never do it. But so far in his NFL career, he has not been the same player when the light shines brightest."
While Kellerman was stern in his assessment, he did note that Jackson can turn it around and that when it comes to regular games, Jackson has proven himself to be an MVP-caliber player. Jackson still has a lot to learn and there is plenty of time left this season to prove himself as a clutch performer.
