“Playoff Resume Is Terrible”: NFL Analyst Raises Concerns for Lamar Jackson With James Harden Comparison

Lamar Jackson has delivered a remarkable performance, guiding the Baltimore Ravens to an impressive 11-3 record. Also, positioning them for a potential first-round bye. Jackson, undoubtedly, is one of the NFL’s most dynamic offensive talents. He has consistently demonstrated MVP-caliber skills during the regular season.

However, the challenge lies in translating that success into playoff victories. A hurdle that remains an integral part of the narrative as the 2023 season approaches its conclusion. Besides being in a collusion limbo with a ‘non-exclusive franchise tag’, many are finding loopholes in the beloved QB’s performance. NFL analyst Nick Wright has also raised concern about Jackson’s stats during playoffs and even compared him to Clippers’ point guard, James Harden.

Lamar Jackson gets compared to the NBA player

Lamar Jackson’s postseason journey with the Baltimore Ravens has been a mix of highs and lows. The last time Jackson secured a first-round bye for the Ravens in the playoffs was in 2020. Only to face a defeat at the hands of the Titans in the AFC Divisional Round. However, he found redemption in the 2021 AFC Wild Card game against the Tennessee Titans, securing his only career playoff win.

Despite this victory, the Ravens couldn’t sustain the momentum. They fell to the Bills in the AFC Divisional Round the following week. Jackson’s absence due to a knee injury marked the Ravens’ 2022 AFC Wild Card loss to the Bengals. Keeping this record in mind, Nick Wright said on First Things First, “Lamar is probably winning the MVP this year. If Lamar goes into this postseason and the Ravens lose their first game… James Harden.” As the discussion turned into laughs, the screen displayed a tagline, “Lamar on hype: “Narrative is changing… That’s clickbait.”

Nick Wright compared Harden’s record with Jackson’s and added, “As of now, show Lamar’s playoff numbers. Lamar’s playoff resume is terrible. Not a single game with a passer rating in the 80s or above.”

This comparison was drawn due to the long record of Harden playing poorly in the NBA playoffs. It was so bad that NFL analysts like Stephen A. Smith rightly pointed it out as “intentional”. Interestingly, this is not the first time Jackson has been compared to a basketball player.

Jackson and Harden have been talked about together before too

The prospect of Lamar Jackson’s postseason performance has drawn comparisons to NBA star James Harden. This was discussed on the ‘Chris Simms Unbuttoned Podcast’ back in 2020. On the show, Ahmed Fareed presented this idea to Simms, drawing a parallel to the potential challenge faced by Lamar Jackson in the NFL. The essence of the conversation revolves around the skepticism that players like Harden and Jackson could encounter formidable opposition from elite teams in the later stages.

Read More: Titans Likely to Lose RB Derrick Henry Along With Playoff Dreams After Acquiring Explosive WR

For that reason, they’re unable to perform to their full potential. Chris Simms stated, “You don’t have to watch games; you just saw the numbers and highlights and went, ‘Damn, he’s awesome.’ But if they’re going to go to that next round of the playoffs, or get to the final four or the Super Bowl, his game will have to grow a little bit as a pocket passer.”

Furthermore, he continued, “Because I don’t think the great defenses, once you get into that divisional round, or get into the championship game, they’re not going to be overpowered or fooled by some of the things that might work in the regular season for the Ravens.” So, this advice might come in handy even in this season. Hopefully, Jackson can break the curse this time. What are your thoughts about this? Tell us in the comments section.

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