Lamar, Ravens 'keeping a level head' after beating 49ers
The Baltimore Ravens aren't letting the hype following their big win over the San Francisco 49ers derail their mindset.
"Keeping a level head is the most important thing for us right now because now the narrative is changing," quarterback Lamar Jackson said Wednesday, according to ESPN's Jamison Hensley.
Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said the team felt "disrespected" being a betting underdog entering last week's 33-19 victory. Now that Baltimore is widely viewed as the NFL's No. 1 team with a league-best 12-3 record, Jackson is doing his part to help the club block out the noise.
"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,'" Jackson said. "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."
Jackson is now the odds-on favorite to win MVP. The Louisville product has thrown for 3,357 yards and 19 touchdowns against seven interceptions this season while rushing for 786 yards and five more scores.
Despite no longer being underdogs, the team continues to embrace that mentality.
"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 will wrap up their season with matchups against the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers.
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