ExtremeRavens Posted Thursday at 08:21 PM Posted Thursday at 08:21 PM Lamar Jackson didn’t enter the NFL to make friends. While the Ravens’ franchise quarterback stopped short of saying he views his quarterback peers as rivals during a Wednesday news conference, Jackson made it clear he’s not close pals with Bills quarterback Josh Allen or other signal callers across the league. Instead, he’s singularly focused on one thing: an elusive Super Bowl title. “Offseason, I don’t really chill with people, especially not other quarterbacks,” Jackson said with a smile. Reporters laughed, as Jackson’s expression turned stoic. “Don’t get me wrong, there’s no problem or nothing like that, but it’s like we competing against each other,” Jackson said. “I’m not trying to be your friend.” Jackson’s Ravens will face Allen’s Bills for the second time this season on Sunday in the AFC divisional round. Baltimore beat Buffalo, 35-10, in Week 4. Jackson, with the help of 199 rushing yards from Derrick Henry, played efficiently and easily directed his team to a victory inside M&T Bank Stadium. He completed 13 of 18 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns to go with 54 rushing yards and another score. Allen, meanwhile, was just 16 of 29 for 180 yards with no touchdowns. Allen is 1-0 against Jackson in the postseason, however, clipping the Ravens in the 2021 divisional round. Jackson threw a costly interception that was returned for a touchdown in the 17-3 defeat. Fairly or not, fans and media members often evaluate quarterback careers by Super Bowl titles. Both Allen and Jackson are viewed as the top two Most Valuable Player candidates this season, but each player wants to cement their legacy by winning their first Super Bowl title. It’ll take a win over the other this weekend to keep that dream alive. Neither player has reached the Super Bowl in their career, despite being largely considered as two of the five best quarterbacks in the NFL. It’s instead Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes who has stolen the spotlight among quarterbacks under 30, winning three Super Bowls, including each of the past two. The NFL playoffs have been the lone blemish in Jackson’s otherwise spotless career, as he’s just 3-4 as a starter in the postseason. He said that one day he’ll look back on the comparisons with Allen, who was also selected in the first round of 2018 NFL draft, but not in the near future. First, he has high-stakes playoff games to win. “When we’re older, we’ll probably laugh about it, but right now, it’s serious,” Jackson said. “I ain’t laughing with you.” Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article Quote
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