“I’m trying to win a Super Bowl… I’m not worried about MVP.” This is what Lamar Jackson said in November 2019. And guess what? He snagged that MVP but missed out on the big prize—the Lombardi. Baltimore cruised into the playoffs with the best record in the league at 14-2, only to stumble against the Titans. Fast forward to 2023, same story: MVP in the bag, but the Chiefs dashed those Super Bowl hopes. Now, after a rocky 0-2 start to 2024, are we looking at more déjà vu?

Believe it or not, there’s a spooky stat haunting the Ravens right now. Every time they’ve started 0-2, they’ve missed the playoffs. Yeah, it’s early, and plenty of teams have bounced back from a rough start, but this record has Ravens fans sweating a little. History can be a tough opponent. It’s like that ghost in the room nobody wants to talk about, but everyone’s side-eyeing. So, will this season be different, or are they walking into the same old trap?

The Ravens are staring down a 0-2 hole, and it’s only happened five times in their 29-year history. And each time, they’ve failed to make the playoffs. Up next? They’ve got heavyweight showdowns with the Cowboys and then the Bills. It’s a tough road, and unless they fix their issues fast, that Super Bowl dream might start slipping away, much like it did in previous seasons. So yeah, they’ve got work to do, and fast.

However, there’s another hurdle. Since 2020, only 6.25% of teams starting 0-2 have made the playoffs. Doesn’t look too promising, does it? But hey, some teams have defied the odds before. Still, the Ravens’ past isn’t doing them any favors here. Can they flip the script? Good question. At least, Lamar Jackson has urged his team to do that, making it loud and clear that they’ve got to step up, and they’ve got to do it now.

Lamar Jackson’s ‘not used’ to being 0-2!

The last time Baltimore suited to play at M&T, they were one game short of the Super Bowl. But after Sunday’s gut-wrenching 26-23 loss to the Raiders, they’re in a pretty unfamiliar ditch. Sitting at 0-2? Yeah, that’s not what anyone had in mind for a team with such big expectations—especially with a reigning MVP under center. The pressure’s on Lamar Jackson, no doubt. He’s now the fourth reigning MVP since 1970 to start a season 0-2, and you can bet he’s feeling it. That’s why he’s stepping up to rally his squad.

“We’ve got to find our mojo… I’m not used to being 0-2,” he said. But you’ve got to feel for them. The Ravens have lost by slender margins. Ones that ache the most! In the season-opener, they lost to the Chiefs by Isaiah Likely’s toenail barely missing the end zone. Next week, it was a 38-yarder FG deciding their fate. Talk about bad luck! But luck won’t cut it if they want to turn things around. So, where’s that mojo going to come from?

Baltimore’s gone from being a Super Bowl favorite to sitting dead last in the AFC North. Harbaugh’s squad has been here before, though—back in 2015 when they finished 5-11, their worst record under him. They came back from the rut back then, and it’s not even that bad right now. So, they can surely turn it around this time. They can, right? At least Harbaugh isn’t letting the critics inside the locker room. “We’re not going to be defined by what people say… we know we’re a good football team.”

The good news is, it’s very early in the season. The bad news? They have got one of the most difficult runs of games coming up. Sure, you can never count them out. But that’s when we are left to ponder: can they do it, starting against the Cowboys on Sunday?

Do check out our latest Think Tank exclusive interview with Doug Sanders until the SNF kicks off. Why? Because it has got insights on the current NFL season, college football, NIL, and much more.