Ravens' Rashod Bateman defends Lamar Jackson over playoff record

The fact that star quarterback Lamar Jackson hasn't yet added a single Super Bowl appearance to his career resume is hovering over the Baltimore Ravens during yet another summer. 

While speaking with Ravens reporter Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic for a piece published on Wednesday, Baltimore wide receiver Rashod Bateman defended Jackson against what have become all-too-familiar criticisms. 

"Whatever they say about Lamar is kind of mind-boggling to us in general," Bateman said. "If you watched the dude’s highlight tape in college, he threw the ball really, really well. You watch in the NFL, and he’s throwing the ball better than most quarterbacks since he’s been playing. I think they are definitely caught up in him not getting to the Super Bowl, but honestly, that’s hard to even say."

Jackson entered last September a two-time MVP, and some analysts thought he deserved to win the award for the 2024 campaign over Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

According to StatMuse, Jackson and Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals finished Week 18 with a league-high 45 combined passing and rushing touchdowns. Jackson was second behind Burrow (5,119) with a combined 5,087 passing and rushing yards. Per Pro Football Reference, Jackson led all qualified players with a 119.6 passer rating for the regular season. 

However, Jackson fell to 3-5 as a postseason starter via Baltimore's 27-25 divisional-round loss to the Bills in January. During that contest, he tossed a bad interception and committed a costly fumble that resulted in Buffalo scoring a touchdown. 

"There’s 11 people playing, and it’s hard to put it all on the quarterback, even though that’s the leader of the team," Bateman continued. "If you really watch football, Lamar does a lot. He gives people jobs, and he saves people’s jobs. Lamar is a special, special generational talent."

It's certainly not Jackson's fault that tight end Mark Andrews lost a fumble in the fourth quarter of the matchup in Buffalo before Andrews dropped a pass on what should have been a game-tying two-point conversion with 1:33 remaining in regulation. As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Jackson-led Ravens, Bills and Philadelphia Eagles tied as the top betting favorites at +650 odds to win Super Bowl LX in February 2026. 

The Ravens addressed a need and made a major splash in June when they signed cornerback Jaire Alexander. Bateman made it known he was a big fan of that move. 

"This is the best team that I’ve ever been on in the NFL, all around and especially now with Jaire," Bateman told Zrebiec. "We always have the pieces. It’s on us now to go out, compete and just do it."