-
Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff Writer
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — A week after feeling disrespected about being an underdog to the San Francisco 49ers, quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are now tuning out the talk that they’re the NFL’s No. 1 team.
“Keeping a level head is the most important thing for us right now, because now the narrative is changing,” Jackson said Wednesday.
“It was just, ‘This team is … the Ravens; we don’t know about the Ravens.’ Now it’s, ‘Oh, they’re the No. 1 team.’ So, we’re not paying [any] mind to that. I feel like that’s bait — that’s clickbait. And like I said, we’re trying to make it to February, so we’re going to take it a game at a time.”
After a 33-19 victory at the 49ers on Monday night, the Ravens have the NFL’s best record at 12-3. Baltimore is atop virtually every power ranking, including ESPN’s, following its seventh victory by at least 14 points against teams that currently have winning records.
Jackson is also the new betting favorite for NFL Most Valuable Player, but he said the Ravens don’t carry the mindset of being the league front-runner.
“I believe we’ve got a bunch of guys who’ve been doubted, a bunch of guys who’ve got things to prove — on our team — on both sides of the ball,” Jackson said. “So, I believe, anytime we’re the underdogs, we’re going to always rise to the occasion. But we’ve got to stay locked in to do that.”
The Ravens can clinch the AFC’s No. 1 seed if they beat the Miami Dolphins on Sunday; Baltimore is a 3.5-point favorite, according to ESPN BET.
When it was pointed out to Jackson that the Ravens technically are no longer the underdogs, Jackson said, “We’re the underdogs. We’re the underdogs.”
Why does Jackson feel that way?
“Because we’re the underdogs,” Jackson said.