Lamar Jackson catching heat for another rough playoff performance

Lamar Jackson’s performance in the Ravens’ playoff loss to the Bills has people wondering about his overall track record in the postseason.

Lamar Jackson came into Saturday’s matchup with the Bills with his first playoff victory under his belt. That win for the Ravens over the Titans didn’t count for much when it came to battling Buffalo.

The Bills’ defense got the better of Jackson and the Ravens, forcing a devastating red zone interception returned for a touchdown and limiting the quarterback to just 162 yards passing and 34 yards rushing.

Jackson completed just 58 percent of his passes on Saturday evening. With a completion percentage of 48.3 and 52.5 in his first two playoff appearances in 2018 and 2019, last week’s 70.8 percent mark looks like the outlier.

Worse still, the third-year passer added to his interception total. He has thrown a pick in every playoff game in which he has played. That’s five in four. He has just three passing touchdowns to his name, plus one rushing.

People have taken notice.

https://twitter.com/SandNashinho/status/1350648193047031809?s=20

It’s a fair critique of the player who won the MVP in 2019. His electric playmaking style hasn’t translated to the postseason. He showed what he can do on the ground against the Colts, but relying on one special moment isn’t a plan that’ll get you through multiple playoff rounds.

Then again, Jackson is only 24. He’s managed great success so far in his career. However, it’s important to remember he’s still a developing player.

The Ravens also need to do their part to give him a chance. Jackson took three sacks against the Bills and was harried for most of the night by Buffalo’s pass rush. Bad snaps were a major problem as well.

Jackson needs to own his playoff performances and find a way to take his game to the next level. He won’t reach it without his team lifting him up from time to time as well.