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Lamar Jackson can be considered the modern-day equivalent of Cam Newton. Both are highly mobile MVP-winning quarterbacks who are just as potent with their legs as they are with their arm.
The leader of the Batimore Ravens was nothing but stellar in the 2023-24 regular season, completing 307 of 457 attempts for 3,678 yards (all career-highs) and 24 touchdowns and rushing 148 times for 821 yards and five touchdowns.
Sunday's Divisional Round saw him hit a new level, with 100 rushing yards on 11 attempts and two touchdowns. That led a Baltimore resident to tell Newton that Jackson has become more valuable to the franchise than Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis.
The former Panthers star recounted and happily concurred on his 4th & 1 podcast:
"There is not a more dynamic player in all the football than Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes is dynamic in his own right. A different dynamic. But electric, Virginia Tech, Michael Vick electric. That's Lamar Jackson."
He expounded on how this dynamicity could turn the Raven into a bigger star than he is now:
"This is like the societal kind of crossroad. We're not used to seeing a position play, to look, feel, act, stand on, culturally, play like Lamar. They will want you to be on commercials.
"Name me a commercial that Lamar Jackson is on. You can't even probably name me an endorsement that Lamar Jackson has. Lamar Jackson is the epitome of keeping the main thing."
Breaking down Lamar Jackson and Ray Lewis' impact on Ravens
Could the Lamar Jackson era finally result in a Super Bowl? It's no secret that he's one of the best quarterbacks in the league right now. But up until the Baltimore Ravens reached the AFC Championship Game, he was defined by playoff disappointments.
In his MVP year, the team went a league-best 14-2, only to be routed by the Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Round. They reached that stage again in 2020 (ironically enough, by winning at the Titans), only to be routed at the Buffalo Bills.
Nevertheless, he's regarded as one of the biggest game-changers when it comes to how NFL quarterbacks play. Michael Vick's arrest had halted the rise in popularity of mobile QB's, but Russell Wilson resumed it. Jackson's success has turned it into an irreversible notion.
Then there's Ray Lewis. Considered one of the greatest linebackers in gridiron football, he has a litany of achievements that will make his succesors envious:
- Two Super Bowl titles (XXXV, XLVII)
- MVP of Super Bowl XXXV
- Two Defensive Player of the Year awards
- Ten All-Pro selections
- Thirteen Pro Bowls
He was also a key component in establishing the Ravens' identity as a defensive-minded team with a run-focused offense.
That identity was downplayed somewhat with Joe Flacco under center, but Jackson's emergence has fully revived it, even as he has credentialed receivers like Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor to throw to.
However, both players occupied different sides of the ball, so a head-to-head comparison won't do either of them justice. Therefore, it can be said that each has his own reasons for being a vital part of Ravens history.
