Lamar Jackson Excited About Facing 'GOAT' Tom Brady for First Time
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has often referenced Tom Brady as the "GOAT," or Greatest of All Time.
The two dynamic playmakers will meet for the first time when the New England Patriots visit Baltimore for a Week 9 prime-time matchup.
Jackson's stance on Brady has not wavered.
"Tom Brady is definitely the one at the top," Jackson said. "He has six Super Bowls. He’s definitely the GOAT, definitely.”
The game represents the old guard of the NFL in Brady against Jackson, a new-generation playmaker. This matchup also features the NFL’s Top 2 scoring offenses, with New England averaging 31.3 points per game and Baltimore owning a 30.6 mark.
Brady is on pace for a seventh Super-Bowl ring. The undefeated Patriots (8-0) have steamrolled through their schedule. They enter the matchup with the Ravens as 3.5-point favorites —their lowest point-spread of the season.
Brady has thrown for 2,251 yards with 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions over eight games. He has also won six of seven regular-season meetings against the Ravens.
The teams, however, have split their four post-season matchups and Brady is expecting another hard-fought contest.
“I think it is going to be a hell of a game," Brady said on the the Greg Hill Show. "It’s going to be a really great environment. They’ve got a great history there, especially defensive football. And their ability to run the ball, control the clock, the way Lamar (Jackson) is playing, he’s doing a great job for them. We have always had really tough battles there, and any time you go on the road in the NFL — it’s hard to win."
The biggest challenge for Jackson won't be Brady. It will be trying to figure out the Patriots' defense, which ranks in the top five of almost every statistical category. New England leads the NFL with 25 takeaways -- 19 interceptions and six forced fumbles.
“They’re just fundamentally sound," Jackson said. "[They have] a lot of veterans on the defense. They play the ball, all 11 at the ball at all times that I’ve seen on film. That’s how they’re getting so many turnovers, it looks like. We’re just going to have to play ball.”
Jackson has the skills to create some matchup problems for New England.
He is currently ranked sixth among all players with 576 yards rushing with three touchdowns on 83 carries. He also has completed 136 of 215 pass attempts (63.3 percent) for 1,650 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Jackson has more rushing yards than five NFL teams: Chargers (556), Falcons (548), Bengals (476), Dolphins (460) and Jets (447). The Ravens are 9-0 when Jackson runs for at least 70 yards in a game.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick acknowledged that he doesn't have a player that can replicate Jackson's skills during practice.
"We don’t have a guy. I don’t know if anybody else in the league has a guy, either," Belichick said in a conference call with the Baltimore media. "He’s a very talented player with a great skillset that’s unique. So, that will be a big challenge for us to try to do that, no question.”
