BALTIMORE Ravens coach John Harbaugh blasted quarterback Lamar Jackson’s critics.
Harbaugh capped his team’s first practice of training camp with a strong save from his star Jackson.
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Jackson was unable to fulfill the Ravens’ dream of reaching the Super Bowl again last season, sparking criticism from some quarters.
This clearly hurt Harbaugh and he addressed this negative talk head on.
“A lot of good things have been said about Lamar, but there are a lot of things that you just have to scratch your head and ask yourself, ‘What is this person thinking?’” Harbaugh said.
“But we take it personally.”
To be fair to the critics, for all of Jackson’s brilliance, his postseason record is open to debate, as he lost four of his six playoff games.
And he was well below average in the AFC championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs in January.
Jackson completed 54 percent of his passes as the Chiefs won 17-10 to reach another Super Bowl.
“His entire life, Lamar Jackson was a guy who answered the same questions,” Harbaugh said.
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“I’ve been talking since he was a kid. Elementary school, high school, college, recruiting. The success he had in [NFL]again, it still appears.
“OK, now he’s still growing. He’s got a growth mindset. He’s going to get better and better, no doubt.
“But what does he need to do to prove himself to some people?
“The vision we have together is that Lamar Jackson will become known and recognized as the greatest quarterback to ever play in the history of the National Football League.
“It will happen because of Lamar, his work ethic and his brilliant talent, because of all of us dedicating ourselves to this effort together as a team, and by the grace of God and the good will of God.”
It turns out that Jackson wasn’t around to hear Harbaugh’s enthusiastic praise. Before Sunday’s practice, he was sent home by team doctors with an illness.
“He started to get sick [Saturday] midday meetings and it didn’t go well,” Harbaugh said.
Important NFL Dates
August 1 – Hall of Fame Game – Houston Texans vs. Chicago Bears
August 8th – start of pre-season
August 27 – Deadline for 53-player rosters
September 1st – Last day of pre-season
September 5th – season opener – Baltimore Ravens x Kansas City Chiefs
November 5th – Negotiation deadline
January 5th – Week 18 of the regular season
January 11th – start of playoffs
February 9 – Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana
“So he tried to come in today and rest and then drink fluids and stuff.
The Ravens were one of the highest-rated teams for the 2023 season.
And they finished the regular season with a 13-4 record, with Jackson named Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row for a series of exceptional performances.
He passed for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns, and rushed for 821 yards and five touchdowns.
But the Ravens broke through when it mattered most in the new year, and now their fans will be desperate for them to go even further this new season.
They play the Chiefs in a repeat of the AFC Championship Game to open the season.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
