Flacco: ‘Not the most fun’ to back up Jackson
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Joe Flacco will back up Lamar Jackson in Sunday’s wild-card game against the Los Angeles Chargers, just six years after he led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl championship.
Robert Griffin III says defenses know what’s coming from Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, but, like Michael Jordan, “it’s hard to stop.”
Winners and projections for every game, plus key matchups, betting nuggets and more. Catch up on wild-card weekend here.
The Ravens are short home favorites against the Los Angeles Chargers. Which team will cover? Here are our best bets for the game.
Will it be any different being the No. 2 quarterback in the playoffs for the first time in his career?
“I don’t know if it’s going to be any more different or not,” Flacco said after Friday’s practice. “It’s definitely not the most fun position in the world. It is what it is.”
This is the time when Flacco typically plays his best. In his last 10 playoff games, Flacco has thrown 24 touchdowns and four interceptions with a 104.1 passer rating. He has thrown at least two touchdowns in eight straight postseason games, marking the longest streak in postseason history.
But Flacco lost the starting job when he injured his hip in early November and Jackson turned around the season in his absence. Now, Jackson’s first career playoff game could mark Flacco’s final home game with the Ravens.
It’s expected that Baltimore will part ways with Flacco this offseason, which means the former Super Bowl MVP could be stepping into M&T Bank Stadium for the last time as a Raven.
“I haven’t really thought too much about it, to be honest with you. It is what it is,” Flacco said. “We’re a No. 4 seed. There’s always a possibility that in the final round before the Super Bowl you can come back here. So you never know.”
Like Jackson, Flacco started in the postseason as a rookie. In 2008, Flacco guided Baltimore to the AFC Championship Game in his first season.
His advice to Jackson is to not change his routine or preparation just because it’s a playoff game.
“I just remember when I was going into it, everybody talked about how much different these games were,” Flacco said. “The bottom line is they’re all football games, and obviously there’s going to be a little bit different intensity to it. But at some point, the game settles in and becomes a football game. That might happen the first series or it might take a little bit longer.”