PASSIONATE DEFENSE
Ravens coach John Harbaugh breaks silence on Lamar Jackson after QB was sent home and says ‘we take it personally’
Jackson's sickness described by coach as 'not good' ahead of new campaign
BALTIMORE Ravens coach John Harbaugh has hit out at critics of quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Harbaugh capped his team's first practice of training camp with a strong defense of his star man Jackson.
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Jackson wasn't able to deliver the Ravens dream of reaching the Super Bowl again last season, leading to criticism from some quarters.
That has clearly stung Harbaugh and he addressed that negative talk head on.
"There's a lot of great things said about Lamar, but there's a lot of stuff that's said that you just got to scratch your head about and kind of wonder, 'What's that person even thinking?'" Harbaugh said.
"But we take it personally."
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In fairness to the critics, for all his Jackson's brilliance, his record in the postseason is open to debate, as he has lost four of his six playoff games.
And he was well below par in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs in January.
Jackson completed 54 per cent of his passes as the Chiefs won 17-10 to reach another Super Bowl.
"All his life, Lamar Jackson has been a guy who's been answering those same questions," Harbaugh said.
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"I'm talking about since he was a kid. Junior high, high school, college, the draft. The success he's had in the [NFL], again, it still comes up.
"OK, now he's still growing. He's got a growth mindset. He's going to get better and better, no doubt.
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"But what does he have to do to prove himself to some people? Right?
"The vision that we have together is that Lamar Jackson is going to become and be known and be recognized as the greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the National Football League.
"It's going to happen by Lamar, his work ethic and his brilliant talent, by all of us pouring into that effort together as a team and by the grace of God and God's goodwill."
As it happens, Jackson was not around to hear Harbaugh's glowing praise. Before Sunday's practice, he was sent home by team doctors with an illness.
"He just started getting sick [Saturday] midday in the meetings and it got kind of not good," Harbaugh said.
NFL important dates
August 1 - Hall of Fame Game - Houston Texans vs Chicago Bears
August 8 - Pre-season begins
August 27 - Deadline for 53-man rosters
September 1 - Final day of pre-season
September 5 - Season opener - Baltimore Ravens vs Kansas City Chiefs
November 5 - Trade deadline
January 5 - Week 18 of regular-season
January 11 - Playoffs begin
February 9 - Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana
"So, he tried to get in today and get rest and then get fluids and things. It just wasn't good."
The Ravens were very much one of the fancied teams going into the 2023 season.
And they finished the regular season with a record of 13-4, with Jackson named Most Valuable Player for the second year running for a host of outstanding performances.
He passed for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns, and rushed for 821 yards and five touchdowns.
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But the Ravens came unstuck when it mattered most in the new year, and now their fans will be desperate for them to even further in this new season.
They kick off against the Chiefs in a repeat of the AFC Championship Game in the season opener.