The last time the Ravens had the AFC’s No. 1 seed was in 2019.
Lamar Jackson’s first MVP campaign led them to a 14-2 record. But the season came crashing down on a Saturday night in Baltimore, as the Titans defeated them 28-12 in the divisional round.
The Ravens again have the No. 1 seed and Jackson is again the likely MVP. But for Jackson, that’s about where the comparisons stop.
“2019 is over with,” Jackson said in his Wednesday press conference. “We’re always talking about it. I always find myself talking about it, but it’s different. That was just my first full season [starting] in the NFL and my second year in the league, at that. But it’s a different mindset, a different group of guys. I just feel like all around, we’re different.”
Still, Jackson understands why the 2019 season gets brought up — Baltimore was great that year.
“We were 14-2. It looked like we were going to be unbeaten,” Jackson said. “I felt like all phases were just playing at the top of our game at the time. I don’t know where it was when we just hit a hump. We just couldn’t get it done that January, but I strongly feel like this year it’ll be different.”
There’s plenty of reason to think Jackson’s right. He’s now much more experienced at quarterback with several strong weapons, despite the team losing star tight end Mark Andrews. Plus, Baltimore’s defense has been as good as any unit all year.
So as far as erasing the memory of 2019, Jackson noted that’s already been done.
“We just let that junk go. We have to let that go,” Jackson said. "[We have] different guys, like I said, [and this is] a different team. All around, just a different atmosphere. I feel like we’re just on a whole other level from then, because all we talk about is just the next team — not what the future may hold in a few weeks.”
With Jackson resting in Week 18, it will be a few weeks before we see him in action again as the Ravens try to advance to their first conference championship game since winning the Super Bowl in 2012.
