Highly-motivated Lamar Jackson ready for playoff run with Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens are playoff-bound once again this year with a highly-motivated and upgraded Lamar Jackson under center. Jackson played in the playoffs during his rookie campaign last year, but it ended in disappointment and he hasn’t forgotten about how things didn’t go his way against the Los Angeles Chargers.

This year, Jackson and company have to go with a wait-and-see approach to see who they’ll face in their first playoff game this time around. The Ravens own the top seed and have the benefit of a first-round bye, but even though many believe they’ll go the distance, Jackson is keeping last year’s loss in the back of his mind while letting it motivate him moving forward, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.

“That game still motivates me,” Jackson said Friday after the Ravens’ final practice of the bye week. “I still haven’t played my second playoff game yet. … That game is over with. We’ve been having a great year this year. We just got to keep it going. I want a Super Bowl. I’m not worried about that. That was my rookie season.”

Baltimore was arguably the best team in the NFL during the regular season and will look to carry over that dominance into the playoffs. Jackson is the favorite to win NFL MVP and understandably so after an incredible sophomore season with the Ravens in which he became near unguardable causing fits for every opposing defense.

Although Jackson was incredibly dominant throughout the regular season, he still has to prove he can get it done in the playoffs making this upcoming matchup as intriguing as ever.