Anyone else getting tired of talking about Sunday’s big win?
Yeah, me neither.
It was exciting. It was a back-and-forth slobber-knocker with a team that we love to hate. It culminated with the Ravens facing adversity and roaring back for an improbable win. And it was all thanks to plays like this (via NFL on Twitter):
LAMAR JACKSON JUMP PASS TD.
?: #KCvsBAL on NBC
?: https://t.co/SsXyNx0bwQ pic.twitter.com/ZWtP0yR3ZU— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2021
Madre de Dios, that’s good. I can’t act like Lamar looked perfect all night, but there are only a handful of guys in the NFL that can make that throw. Two of them happened to be participating in that matchup, and somewhere, I’m sure Kyler Murray was taking some notes. You’re going to see that completion over and over again on Lamar’s highlight reel for years to come, but it’s just as much fun to watch it on repeat right now.
Speaking of things only a guy like Lamar can do (via NFL Stats on Twitter):
Lamar Jackson is now the only QB since the #NFL merger to have multiples games of 100+ rush yards and 2 rush TDs#Ravens
— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) September 20, 2021
What else is new, right? It seems like we see a new rushing benchmark to Lamar’s game every time he takes the field, bu sometimes these are nice reminders of just how multi-faceted his game is. For me, it’s a constant reminder how lucky we are to get to watch Lamar work every Sunday. His legs were a huge part of the reason Baltimore captured that win, and while the league doesn’t award style points, it’s moments like this one that I wish they would (Credit to Mark Schofield and USA Today Sports):
"LAMAR! Do you want to go for this?" ? pic.twitter.com/ZfdJowmWyT
— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2021
We’ve seen this before: the circumstance was eerily similar to the game back in October of 2019 against the Seattle Seahawks. With a minute and change remaining in the third quarter, the Ravens faced a fourth and two situation from Seattle’s seven yard line in a tie ball game. Rather than opting to kick it, Harbs asked Lamar, “Do you want to go for that?”, and Lamar emphatically replied, “Hell yeah, coach, let’s go for it!” I can’t share the video directly because it’s property of the Ravens, but if you haven’t seen the clip, you can find it here.
I’m sure those guys can tell you all of the analytics about statistical success in those situations, and sometimes those gambles will come back to bite you. But keeping the ball out of Patrick Mahomes’ hands and locking up the win was a bold move that worked out for the best. In the words of the great poet Robert Frost, “Freedom lies in being bold.” In the words of a philosopher in our own time, Jeezy, “Scared money don’t make no money.”
Now in every great moment of competition, someone comes out on the losing end. No, I’m not talking about the Chiefs taking the loss. I’m not talking about the gamblers that lost their behinds betting on the contest. I’m not even talking about the unfortunate concussion suffered by DeShon Elliott.
No, my friends, the fattest L of the day belonged to Stephen A. Smith.
Following the critical interception by Tavon Young that provided a HUGE momentum swing for Baltimore, Stephen A. took exception to the level of celebration from the Ravens D and authored this gloriously awful take:
The @Ravens defense has given up 28 points and are down 35-24. So what the hell is the defense celebrating an interception for? This is the kind of stuff that drives me nuts.
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) September 20, 2021
Of course, the Ravens pull off a clutch victory, meaning that Stephen A. really stepped in it on this one. Predictably, the internet did their job and SHREDDED him. As someone who harbors a robust dislike for Smith, this thread gave me life:
On behalf of the Flock, let’s all join together on this one:
