Already, Lamar Jackson is the presumed NFL MVP. Still, he remains 0-1 in playoff games with a loss to the Chargers last season. Baltimore lost that game 23-17, and Jackson threw for 194 yards and two touchdowns last January 6.
Tonight – on Saturday in primetime – Jackson welcomes the Tennessee Titans to town. The Ravens are 10-point favorites. This year’s version of Jackson is an entirely different animal. However, Skip Bayless of Undispited on FOX Sports sees an upset coming.
"I will be rooting like crazy for the NFL's breakout star, and I'm not sure we've ever seen a star breakout quite the way Lamar Jackson did this year. It would be great for the NFL if this young man lead this Baltimore team to the Super Bowl." — @RealSkipBayless pic.twitter.com/yZBGtGfU0z
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) January 10, 2020
Bayless is like me, he’s caught up in the standout play of Jackson and knows what is best for the viewing public. He wants Jackson to win he emphasizes with his first sentence.
“I will be rooting like crazy for the NFL’s breakout star.”
Still, he can’t shake the feeling that the Titans are going to have a surprise cooking for Baltimore.
“I got this nagging voice in my head. I am feeling a huge upset here. I’ve got the Titans 21-20 in what will be the most physical game of the NFL season. This will be the headbangers’ ball.”
I was watching that Sunday, January 7 in 2001 when Eddie George and the Titans were shocked at home by the Ravens and Ray Lewis by a 24-10 score. Indeed it was a physical battle like none I remember.
That’s going to be the brand of game the Titans want tonight. On the surface, the Ravens would appear to be the same way. However there is a little bit more flash to their game then that of the Titans who would prefer an absolute slugfest.
The Ravens are no New England, who Tennessee knocked out at Gillette Stadium a week ago with a sledgehammer defense and running the ball with Derrick Henry.
But the Ravens will be able to grind it out just a hair better then Tennessee tonight, and I imagine the posts about Jackson roll onward for another week. And that’s good for business.
