Former Louisville Cardinals and current Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has proven himself to be one of the best football players over the past decade. The overall statistics and numerous accolades back it up.
But in the biggest games — at both the college and NFL levels — Jackson has struggled, committing uncharacteristic turnovers to the point that they’ve become the norm. The question remains: will he ever be able to get over the hump and win the biggest of games?
Big Game Struggles Continue To Haunt Former Louisville Cardinals QB Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson has crafted a terrific career in college football and the NFL. His resume is overflowing with individual awards and accolades, namely a Heisman trophy and two MVP awards — with a third potentially on the way.
The one thing that’s alluded the uber-talented quarterback is success against the best competition. In the NFL, he holds a 3-5 record in the postseason. Jackson’s individual stats plummet in those games.
The current Ravens quarterback has admitted he needs to become more relaxed in those pressurized environments — but he has yet to find a solution.
The Ravens were defeated by the Buffalo Bills, 27-25, in the AFC Divisional Round in 2025, furthering concerns about Jackson’s ability to get over the hump. He committed two of Baltimore’s three turnovers on the game — a costly fumble in Buffalo territory and an interception in which his receiver never had a chance.
Jackson nearly led the Ravens all the way back, staging a comeback late in the fourth quarter, which illustrates the type of elite player he can be when he plays clean football.
Turnovers have been his Achilles heel in the big games, and it showed vs. the Bills. But it’s not a new thing.
Jackson’s lack of ability to compete with the best when it matters most can be traced back to his three-year college career with the Cardinals.
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His first career start was against the No. 6 Auburn Tigers in 2016. Jackson was only 18 years old, facing a top-10 ranked SEC opponent. His 9 of 20 passing for 100 yards and an interception were not any cause for concern — at the time. He ran for 106 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, showcasing his true dual-threat ability.
Six weeks later, on the road against the No. 11 Florida State Seminoles, Jackson improved greatly. He threw for 307 yards and three TDs, a solid line on the surface. But in a six-point game midway through the third quarter, Jackson was sacked and fumbled, leading to a Seminole touchdown.
On the very next play, Jackson was intercepted. That resulted in another Seminole score, pushing the lead to 20 points, which ended up being the final margin. A once-promising opportunity for an upset was gone after two turnovers on two straight plays.
Jackson’s sophomore season in 2016 proved to be a masterpiece. He was the youngest player in NCAA football history to be named the Heisman Trophy award winner, at only 19-years of age.
His best performance in college football against a ranked opponent came in Louisville’s third game of the season, once again against the Seminoles. This time, they were ranked No. 2 while the Cardinals, coming into the season with high expectations, were slotted at No. 10.
It was a coming-out party for Jackson, who rushed 17 times for 146 yards and four scores. He completed 13 of 20 attempts through the air for 213 yards and a TD — with another vaunted interception. Luckily, it didn’t make a difference. With the nation watching, the Cardinals won 63-20.
It proved to be his only victory against a ranked opponent in his entire college football career.
Two weeks later, visiting the No. 5 Clemson Tigers, Jackson had another spectacular performance, totaling 457 total yards and three TDs with another INT. But down 42-36 with just over there minutes to go, he failed to lead a game-winning drive.
On fourth-and-12 inside Clemson territory, Jackson threw short of the sticks, leaving his receiver unable to reach the line to gain.
An ugly 29-9 loss to the No. 20 LSU Tigers in the Citrus Bowl ended Jackson’s Heisman season. He completed 10 of 27 attempts — a lousy 37.0% — for only 153 yards. Although he didn’t throw an interception, he failed to throw a touchdown as well. He ran the ball 26 times for only 33 yards, fumbling once.
The 2017 season was much of the same for the Louisville QB: struggles against ranked opponents and brilliance against the rest.
In three games, all losses, against the No. 3 Clemson Tigers, No. 24 NC State Wolfpack, and No. 20 Mississippi State Bulldogs, Jackson completed exactly 50% of his passes for six touchdowns and six interceptions. He only threw four picks in the other 10 games. Despite that, he was named as the first-team All-ACC quarterback.
In all, Jackson left college football with a 1-7 record against ranked opponents and a 11:10 TD-to-INT ratio.
It didn’t scare away the Ravens from trading up into the back of the first round to select the Cardinals signal-caller with the 32nd selection, banking on his sheer talent and believing he had the capacity to improve as a passer.
The Ravens decision to trade up for the Jackson was proved correct in just his second season; he threw for 3,127 yards and 36 touchdowns with only six interceptions. His 36:6 TD-to-INT ratio was a top-25 mark in NFL history.
He also completed 66.1% of his passes, a tremendous improvement from his final season at Louisville, in which he completed only 59.1%.
MORE: Last 10 Heisman Trophy Winners, Where Are They Now?
The Ravens clinched the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs, awarding themselves a bye week in the first round. The 9-7 Tennessee Titans were the opponents in the Divisional Round — and they whacked Baltimore 28-12.
Jackson threw an interception on the team’s first drive, leading to the Titans’ first score of the game. While trying to stage a comeback in the third quarter, Jackson lost a fumble and threw an interception on consecutive drives. The game was effectively over at that point.
Baltimore was able to defeat the Titans in the first round in 2020 before falling to the Bills, 17-3. In those two games, Jackson failed to throw a touchdown pass and threw an interception in each game, including a costly 101-yard pick-six against Buffalo.
After suffering injuries in the final weeks of the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Jackson won the MVP award once again in 2023, posting an above-average 24:7 TD-to-INT ratio. But he returned to his ways of turning the ball over in the AFC Championship against the Kansas City Chiefs.
After breezing past the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round, the Ravens were one game away from reaching the Super Bowl.
The only thing that stopped them was their three turnovers once again. Jackson committed two, losing a fumble in the first half and throwing an interception in the end zone in the fourth quarter, effectively ending the Ravens season.
Jackson had his best season yet in 2024, throwing 41 touchdowns versus only four interceptions — the sixth-best TD-to-INT ratio of all-time. But in the end, it didn’t matter.
Following the loss to the Bills in 2024, Jackson’s postseason record sits at 3-5.
There’s no doubt he’s in the same conversation as the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, Bills’ Josh Allen, and Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow in the upper echelon of quarterbacks. With his improved passing and dual-threat ability, some analysts have said he’s the best. Certainly, his talent is up there.
So, what’s the issue for Jackson in the big games?
“I’m just too excited — that’s all. Too antsy, that’s all,” Jackson told reporters prior to the 2025 postseason. “I’m seeing things before it happens like, ‘Oh, I have to calm myself down.’ But just being more experienced, I’ve found a way to balance it out.”
That quote preceded his two turnovers in the Divisional Round loss to Buffalo.
On the bright side, Jackson just turned 28-years-old. Although he’s completed seven years in the NFL, he doesn’t seem to have a huge amount of wear and tear.
He just completed his best season as a passer, throwing for 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns, putting himself in prime position to earn his third MVP award. He has his entire career still ahead of him, and the arrow seems to be pointing up.
But the reality of the situation is that if he doesn’t win a big game soon, Jackson is at serious risk of devaluing his regular season success. Yes, he’ll put up big numbers in the regular season, but for what? Does it matter if he doesn’t win a Super Bowl?
Another long offseason is ahead for Jackson, who will have to answer those very questions from reporters — and himself. Figuring out an approach that works to calm himself down should be at the top of the list.
Throughout the last decade, he’s been arguably the most talented quarterback and one of the best players in all of football across his time in college and the NFL. Without question he’s on the small list of players in consideration.
When Jackson was drafted, he was interviewed by, at the time, ESPN‘s Deion Sanders. He made a bold claim, expressing the confidence he has in himself.
“They’re gonna get a Super Bowl out of me,” Jackson declared. “Believe that.”
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The Ravens have come close — and gotten two, potentially three MVP awards out of Jackson — but the Super Bowl is still out there.
Time is on his side, but unless he’s able to change the narrative, Jackson will be just another legendary athlete who couldn’t quite win the big one. He has all the ability in the world to do so — he just has to do it.
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