REPORT: Ex-Dallas Cowboys Predicts Playoff Success for Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Former Dallas Cowboys star Dez Bryant has high hopes for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens this 2023 season, and for good reason.
The Ravens have already clinched a playoff spot in the AFC, and at 11-3, they possess the best record in the AFC and the NFL–tied with the San Francisco 49ers. Jackson and Co. have also won four in a row heading to their Week 16 showdown with the Niners, raising hopes up that this could very well be the year that they compete for a Super Bowl.
Ever since Jackson arrived in Baltimore in 2018, the team has made the playoff four times (excluding this 2023
season). They haven’t advanced past the divisional round, though, and Jackson has only won one in his four playoff games to date.
Indeed, a lot of detractors continue to question if the Ravens, led by Jackson, can win the playoffs in 2023. They have, after all, made many efforts and failed each time.
However, Dez Bryant believes that this time around the Ravens’ destiny will be different. He believes that Jackson and Odell Beckham Jr. will play their best football towards the end, and he also believes that Jackson’s system will allow him to finally make a long postseason run.
What makes Bryant believe that? New offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who took over from Greg Roman this 2023 campaign.
“Greg Roman to Todd Monken and that’s the difference! My short stint with the Ravens I was livid how much of Just Lamar rare abilities was winning games for the Ravens,” the former Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowler said, referencing his time in Baltimore in 2020.
“He deserved to be coached with a real plan around him… Looking from the outside in you can see the difference. That’s what I’m banking on.”
Will this really be the year that Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens make it to the AFC championship, or even the Super Bowl? Sure enough, fans are hoping that Bryant is right.
Lamar Jacksons’ Leadership Standing Out for Baltimore Ravens
For what it’s worth, it’s not only the offense and game plan around Lamar Jackson that has been driving the Baltimore Ravens’ success this 2023.
Following their victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15, Marlon Humphrey stated that Jackson’s leadership had truly shone out and helped the squad improve.
It’s been amazing to watch him develop into a more assertive leader. entering first. Humphrey stated of Jackson, “I believe everyone can agree that since he signed his contract, he’s made a lot of adjustments to truly be the team leader, not just the top player.
“Seemingly anything counts, including arriving early, doing more exercise, inspiring the team with speeches, and making advances on males. He told me last week, “Hey buddy, we need you to play better.” It has involved each of these things.
Given Jackson’s development as a leader and the offensive scheme that Dez Bryant detailed, there are many reasons to think that the Ravens will succeed.
In their encounter with the 49ers in Week 16, let’s hope they can maintain the momentum. The Ravens should use this as a good test to determine if they can truly compete with the other elite teams.
