Lamar Jackson’s fatal flaw exposed again: Can it be fixed?

The Kansas City Chiefs knocked off the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game, 17-10.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson will undoubtedly be named as the 2023 NFL Most Valuable Player for his regular-season brilliance, but his performance against the Chiefs will reignite questions about his postseason struggles.

Jackson had a few highlight-worthy moments — he made a beautiful 30-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers and recorded a 13-yard reception by tracking down his own deflected pass. Highlights don't win games, however, and Jackson struggled to find any rhythm or consistency against Kansas City's unrelenting pressure.

Jackson completed 20-of-37 passes for 272 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also added eight carries for 54 rushing yards and one fumble.

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson stifled by postseason pressure again

While the AFC Championship Game was promoted as a battle between two superstar quarterbacks, it was Kansas City's defense that did most of the heavy lifting. The Chiefs defense performed better as the game wore on, allowing just three points in the game's final 45 minutes.

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had a clear mission coming into M&T Bank Stadium: hit Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson over and over again. Kansas City stymied Baltimore's potent offense by sending rushers to fill every escape lane. Jackson completed a season-low 41% of his passes against the blitz on Sunday, per ESPN Stats & Info. He was blitzed on 41% of his dropbacks, the third-highest rate he faced this season.

Jackson was sacked by four different Chiefs defenders — defensive ends Charles Omenihu and George Karlaftis, defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton and safety Justin Reid. Jackson was hit seven times.

Lamar Jackson's postseason struggles against the blitz

The 2023 Ravens team was the best of Jackson's career, but the dynamic quarterback has succumbed to pressure in the postseason throughout his career. Jackson's sensational rookie season ended with a thud during a 23-17 Wild Card Round loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Jackson completed 14-of-29 passes for 194 yards with one interception. He was sacked seven times during that game. While Jackson played better in his next playoff game, the Ravens still fell to the Tennessee Titans, 28-12. Jackson finished with 365 passing yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He was sacked four times and hit seven times by the Titans defense.

Overall, Jackson has a 2-4 postseason record. He has completed 112-of-195 passes for an average of 220 passing yards per game. He has nine total touchdowns, six interceptions and three fumbles. He has been sacked 26 times.

There were warning signs in the first half of the Ravens' 34-10 Divisional Round win over the Houston Texans, but Jackson masked those warnings with an electric second-half performance. Houston managed to stifle the Ravens offense in the first half by pressuring Jackson, but Baltimore pulled away in the second half by adjusting to a quick passing game. Against Kansas City's significantly better defense, those adjustments didn't work.

Everything is elevated in the playoffs. Each game gets tougher. The competition is better. The expectations are higher. The lights are brighter. The stage is bigger. By now, the veteran quarterback should have an answer for the physical pressure and the mental pressure — especially this season, when the Raven's were the AFC's No. 1 seed.

Jackson wasn't the only reason for Baltimore's ignominious loss. The Ravens accrued 95 yards in penalties, and rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers fumbled into the end zone early in the fourth quarter. That sloppy performance sharply juxtaposed Kansas City's three penalties and zero turnovers.

Still, while Jackson doesn't deserve all of the blame, he certainly deserves a good portion of it.