We're two days removed from Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense putting a beatdown on New England's Boogeymen defense and perfect season. While the players and coaches have moved on their Week 10 assignments -- Baltimore to Cincinnati, New England to a bye -- many in the league won't forget Sunday night's performance so quickly.
Baltimore put up 210 rushing yards on New England's front seven, the most it had allowed all season; Jackson led the Ravens on four touchdown drives, which was as many as the Patriots had allowed all season; and the Ravens scored 37 points in all, 60.7 percent of the points opponents had scored against New England entering Sunday night.
"When I was on the field, it wasn't hitting me," Jackson said on Showtime's "Inside the NFL" on Tuesday of playing New England and across from future Hall of Famer Tom Brady. "I'm trying to compete. When I touch that field, my goal is to come out with victories and that's what I wanted to do.
"Like I said, I didn't care who I was playing against, you know? Tom Brady, the G.O.A.T. of all G.O.A.T.s, six Super Bowls, 20 years doing it, the guy's still playing like he's a second-year player, a third-year player like he's a young guy in the league and still you can't take nothing from him. It was crazy.
"I know we're going to see him again, so we've just got to prepare."
Baltimore doesn't currently have the Patriots on its schedule for the rest of the regular season, something Belichick inartfully noted after New England's loss. But the Ravens could absolutely meet the Patriots in the postseason. New England (8-1) currently owns the No. 1 seed, while Baltimore (6-2) is slotted into the No. 2 seed. A rematch in the AFC title game is squarely in the realm of possibility.
If and when that comes, Jackson said he won't be paying attention to those who proffer that his playing style won't equate to Super Bowl titles or appearances.
"Yeah, yeah, I hear it. But like I said before, the doubters gon' always be there," Jackson told the "Inside the NFL" crew. "I just got to do what I have to do to make it possible, and that's to win the Super Bowl. When it comes, the doubters gon' still be there so it really don't matter. Like I said before, I'm on my way to my goal. My team's with me. Just got to keep proving them wrong."
The second-year signal-caller is already doing just that. Through eight games, Jackson is Baltimore's leading passer (1,813) and its leading rusher (637). The quarterback is on pace for 1,274 rushing yards in a season -- the most ever by a QB by over 200 yards -- at a league-high 6.4 yards per attempt clip. Jackson is also currently 11th in the league in rushing, ahead of the likes of Le'Veon Bell, Adrian Peterson and his teammate Mark Ingram.
Given injuries in the past to Michael Vick and Robert Griffin III and the very recent setbacks suffered by Cam Newton, though, there is a concern that Jackson won't be able to sustain his elite dual-threat ability without encountering some sort of physical misfortune.
Asked why many are concerned about the abuse Jackson is taking and will continue to take in the open field, the QB said, "Probably because they've seen guys before me probably took the wrong hit at the wrong time and they probably don't want to see it happen to me.
"But I'm a different player and I play it safe but I also play to win."
Jackson's style of play has led to six Ravens wins so far this year. If the MVP candidate is correct, it might lead to another over New England in January.
