 narrative a spoken or written account of connected events or a story and of course as we all know there have been many different narratives that have been pushed about one Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson some say he can't throw some say he can't go through his progression some say he can't read defenses and so on and so forth but the biggest narrative is that when it's the biggest stage when it's the biggest games that Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson just doesn't show up Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson just can't get it done Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson just cannot win the big games and what do people have to hang their head on when it comes to that narrative well if you go to the playoffs well of course the Ravens are 0 and 2 on the playoffs under Lamar Jackson last year they lost to the Titans and in the previous year they lost to the Chargers and for whatever reason whoever you want to blame it on the Ravens lost and that's the end of the story but there's also been some other big games that people have said that Lamar Jackson has lost but then what is the definition of a big game and is that narrative really true that every single big game that Lamar Jackson has been in he's lost let's take a deeper look into it let's go back to the year 2018 it's week 9 the Ravens are playing the Steelers and they lose and they lose bad and not that the score was a blowout anything but the Ravens just showed absolutely no life in that game they came out dead and they ended that game even deader if that's even a word and it was looking like the Ravens were done for the year it was looking like their playoff chances were very slim and even if they would have made the playoffs nobody was really expecting anything I I remember tweeting it out I said well I guess that's the end of both Joe Flacco and John Harbaugh this year with the Ravens because the way that the team was looking I expected both of them to be gone after the season was done but in that game we always talk about how injuries are the worst part of the game which they are but injuries are a bit of sweet thing because while it takes away somebody's opportunity it also gives somebody else an opportunity and that's exactly what happened with Ravens Lamar Jackson because they went into the pie week after that and they declared Lamar Jackson a new Raven starter and his first game was against the Cincinnati Bengals so the Ravens are 4-5 and your first game is against a division opponent is that or is that not a big game against not only an AFC opponent but an AFC North opponent with your season looking like it's pretty much over I would kind of consider that a big game but what did the Ravens come out and do under Lamar Jackson they won and his first game as a starter they won then the following week they played the Raiders another AFC opponent so they're in your same conference not your division so maybe the game is not as big but then you got to look at the situation again the Ravens are 5-5 they're 5-5 this season is hanging by a thread what did they do against the Raiders well they won the following week they went to Atlanta Lamar Jackson first away game what happened they won but then next week they played the Kansas City Chiefs somebody who a lot of people picked as a Super Bowl favorite team at that time because Kansas City Chiefs they were hot they were hot Patrick Mahones was just dotting people all up over the field and doing his thing as he has continued to do throughout his career so was this labeled a big game yeah it was because it was a game against an AFC opponent toward the end of the season especially when the Ravens were really trying to make the playoffs what happened they lost so was that a big game that Lamar Jackson lost I would say so so then the following week they play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home and they get the job done but then after that they play in the Chargers and they play in the Chargers on Saturday night football but this is just not any game one it's an AFC opponent but two if you lose this game your playoff chances are done your playoff hopes are over because it's a lot of teams that have a similar record to you and you if you lose you're gonna need a lot of help and usually when you need a lot of help or you need to sky to fall for you to get into the playoffs it doesn't happen so it's best that you take care of your own business because this game and every other game after that it became win now more they were must win games so would this game in a way game and if you lose your playoff chances are done would that be considered a big game I think so what did the Ravens go out and do under Lamar Jackson they won so then to top that now it's week 17 the Browns are coming into your house and they have nothing to lose because they're already out of the playoffs but they get to play upset to their division rival the Ravens two young quarterbacks going against each other Baker Mayfield vs. Lamar Jackson this week 17 Ravens win and you not only get in but you win the division so is that should that be considered a big game I think so I certainly think so what did the Ravens do under Lamar Jackson as the starter they won they won the game and that was a big game so it's kind of strange that a lot of people saying Lamar Jackson doesn't win big games when in his first season alone he won several now of course the next week in the playoffs they lost but the narrative about Lamar Jackson can't win big games that's already done from the games that we just examined from his rookie season so then if we fast forward to the 2019 season a big game that a lot of people say oh Lamar Jackson loss was against the Chiefs in week three but when you think about it was that really a big game because in weeks one and two he beat the Dolphins and beat the Cardinals and then in weeks three and four they lost to the Chiefs in the Browns but is a loss to an AFC opponent not a division opponent but an AFC opponent is that considered a big game when it's just happening in week three did it happen in week 16 and 17 when the season is on the line no it happened in week three and although it is an AFC opponent and it was the Lamar Jackson versus Patrick Mahomes which makes it sound even better it was really not a big game to us fans it was because it's like man we want Lamar to get the best of Patrick Mahomes we want him to one up Patrick Mahomes this time but when you actually think about it it was not a big game then the following week they lost to the Browns at home now could you consider that a big game you could because it's an AFC division matchup but it's still super early in the season and while you do want to stack as many division wins as possible was it truly a big game it did have importance but it wasn't really a big game so then in the following weeks they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers who were Roslisberger less Steelers and then they beat the Cincinnati Bengals who were just a bad team now those were division games but still nonetheless they do have more importance than regular games but with those big games no not really they were important games but not big games but then the Ravens had to travel away to Seattle to take on Russell Wilson one of the league's best quarterbacks in Seattle so was that considered a big game well it was definitely a statement game so I think it was considered a big game and the reason I say this was a big game it was because you're not going against these bad Bengals you're not going against these Roslisberger less Steelers you're going against the cream of the crop Russell Wilson and what did Lamar Jackson and those Ravens do they took care of business decisively and then two weeks later they had somebody that some people call the best coach that ever did it Bill Belichick and Tom Brady coming in the town and these dudes are riding high they sit an undefeated haven't lost a game yet so with that be considered a big game especially against an AFC opponent that you may end up seeing in the playoffs down the road well certainly and what did the Ravens do on national television Sunday night football they took care of business decisively against the best so would that be considered a big game yes but then they beat the Cincinnati Bengals who again were very bad that year but then the following week after that they played another person who a lot of people were feeling like was an MVP candidate and the Sean Watson in old Houston Texans and boy me myself I thought the Ravens were gonna win but I thought it was gonna be a back forth back forth back forth but Ravens they made it all back and they just absolutely destroyed the Texans AFC opponent playoff opponent was this a big game yes so then the following week on Monday night football they have to play that crazy defensive line and pass rush featuring Aaron Donald Michael Brock is in company with those LA Rams and that was certainly a challenge it's an away game the world is watching on Monday night football I was scared for that game because I'm like oh my goodness I think the Ravens can win but I know it's going to be a struggle and Lamar Jackson and old Ravens all they did was just throw for five touchdown passes and just absolutely destroy the Rams in front of the world was that a big game well Monday night football you're going against a great player one of the greatest players in the NFL and Aaron Donald and you know he can cause havoc and the world is watching everybody is watching and while it's not an AFC opponent it is an opponent that definitely can bring it so was that a big game ah maybe maybe not all depends on how you look at it it was a big game but definitely not the biggest so if the Rams game wasn't a big game okay cool but then the following week you faced the San Francisco 49ers best record in the NFC and eventual Super Bowl 49ers so was that a big game I would certainly say so it was an ugly game the weather conditions were just gross but what happened Lamar Jackson and the Ravens won so they won yet another big game so the following week after that the Ravens had to travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills in New Aires Stadium shout out to Lamar Jackson and they took on Josh Allen in a hot Buffalo Bills team with a fire defense and what happened because the Buffalo Bills they fighting for their playoff spot to Lamar Jackson and Ravens they fighting for their playoff spot as well so is that not a big game to two AFC teams fighting for playoff position I think so and what did the Ravens and Lamar Jackson do they won and then Lamar Jackson's final two games that season came against the Jets and the Cleveland Browns which they both won decisively and they took care of business because he didn't play week 17 against the Steelers because the Ravens had already locked up the number one seed so Lamar Jackson had already played in enough important in big games to where the Ravens their next biggest game was gonna be in the playoffs against whoever their opponent was to be determined so in the regular season Lamar Jackson certainly won some big games in 2019 now unfortunately in another big game that he played in 2019 in the playoffs it had an unfortunate ending with the Ravens just getting absolutely destroyed by the Titans and again like I said you can blame whoever you want to blame for this loss but hey at the end of the day Lamar Jackson was a starting quarterback and that was a big game that he lost so now we get to the current year the current season and this narrative of course is still out there Lamar Jackson can't win big game so what does he do first game of season against the Cleveland Browns division opponent week one you want to start your season off right what does he do go out and just throw three touchdowns having 80% completion percentage he certainly took care of business in that one so was that considered a big game it depends on how you look at it it's the earliest the start of the season so it's not the biggest game it's an important game but I wouldn't consider it a big game so then they follow that up and they end up playing the Houston Texans and in a way game and Lamar Jackson and Ravens took care of business in that one as well and they won was that considered a big game no was it an important game yeah because it's an AFC opponent but was it a big game no but then in week three Ravens had to take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night football and the world was watching Patrick Mahomes fresh off the Super Bowl so you know these Chiefs been feeling themselves they ain't do no swag surfing like they did against the Jets the other day but still these dudes are riding high why wouldn't they be undefeated they want to just won the Super Bowl they feeling themselves they have every right to be so what happened in that game well Lamar Jackson and Raven certainly lost he only threw 94 yards and the Ravens just got absolutely smacked but was that a big game well depends on who you ask if you ask fans well the way that we were all looking at it we were like okay this is the Ravens chance to avenge themselves against the Chiefs even though the true avengement even though that's not even a word but the true avenging would really happen in the playoffs but for now a we want these Ravens to beat these Chiefs we want them to take care of business did they know but was this a big game an opponent in week three not even a division opponent but an AFC opponent is that a big game in week three no it's not it's not the media made it a big game us fans we made it a big game but when you really think about it's literally week three of the season it's a 16 game season and this is week three is super early so while these games do still have importance that was not a big game but when the next three weeks the Ravens take on the Washington football team the Cincinnati Bengals and the Philadelphia Eagles all those games ended up resulting in wins then they had the opportunity to play the Pittsburgh Steelers and it was a great game Ravens of course just the turnovers absolutely destroyed them and Lamar had maybe his worst regular season game ever and the Ravens ended up losing and this could be considered a big game because you're battling for the AFC North not that this is the end all be all when it comes to the division because it's still a long season ahead but at the same time you want to try to one up Pittsburgh you want to get that division rolling you want to keep your wins in a division rolling because you came into this game undefeated to a no within a division but now they dropped to two and one and Steelers remain undefeated and so this I will consider this a big game and the Ravens of course they lost is it the biggest type of big game no but it's still a big game nonetheless the vision opponent they undefeated you're trying to claim the division so yeah you can consider that a big game still kind of early in the season but at the same time yes so we'll put this on a big game side so with all that being said the narrative about Lamar Jackson not being able to win the big games that's just simply not true now if you want to say oh Lamar Jackson can't win a playoff game well you go ahead and use that one that's fine because he hasn't won a playoff game yet I expect that to change this year but we'll cross that road when we get there but if you're just gonna say oh Lamar Jackson he doesn't show up in big games he can't win a big game that already got shut down his rookie season in 2018 so that narrative about Lamar Jackson not being able to win the big games that got thrown out the window two years ago but now with the narrative about him not being able to win a playoff game it's not just a narrative because that's fact right now but the only way that the narrative is going to go away is not if he wins a playoff game not even if he wins two playoff games the narrative is only going to go away if Ravens win the Super Bowl that's the only way the only way and I know that they're gonna be a lot of analysts they gonna be a lot of experts and whatnot that still say oh man well it was a fluke or oh man it was because it is so it's because of that and they're not gonna give him credit but at the same time that's the only way that this narrative is even going to start to go away that Lamar Jackson can't win big games if he wins the Super Bowl if the Ravens win the Super Bowl that's the only way it's gonna even begin to start feeding so until then get used to hearing it over and over and over like we already are used to hearing it but just know just because you hear it in the media just because you hear it on TV just because you hear it on the radio it doesn't make it true we out