Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson “Electric” before game against Chiefs

Even though he has two MVP awards under his belt, Lamar Jackson is still striving to reach the next level in the fight for the game’s biggest prize, the Super Bowl.

Jackson has impressed his teammates in the preseason and could be poised for his best season yet. Given how the two-time MVP has performed in practice, Ravens All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith believes Jackson can return to the kind of player who took the league by storm.

“The guy (Lamar Jackson) looks electric,” Smith said. “He looks like he’s back in Louisville, in a way, (when) I watch him do 80, 90 (yards), but (he) can also dash down the field.”

A leaner, more dynamic version of Jackson could spell doom for opposing teams. A return to the form he took when he won his first MVP award in 2019 could elevate the Ravens’ offense and be a factor when it matters most. In 2019, Jackson had 43,303 total yards and 43 touchdowns.

Regular-season success hasn’t been Jackson’s problem. The Louisville product is 58-19 in the regular season and has led the Ravens to the top spot in the AFC twice in his six-year career.

The only downside to his game is that he’s 2-4 and has thrown six touchdowns and six interceptions in six postseason games. One of his struggles was in last year’s AFC Championship Game, when he completed 21 of 37 passes for 272 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the Ravens’ 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jackson looking as electrifying as he did early in his career could be a sign that the Ravens are finally ready to overcome their struggles this season. Doing so against a Kansas City team that shut them out of the Super Bowl would be a pretty powerful statement to start the 2024-25 season, and in the process, avenge last year’s heartbreaking loss.

“Every game I play, I feel like it’s a revenge game,” Jackson said. “So I’m not just going to look at this game like it’s a revenge game. Everyone we’ve played, whether we’ve beaten them or lost in years past, I just want to win.”

Baltimore will open the 2024-25 NFL season on Thursday against the Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium at 8:20 p.m. ET.

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