WATCH: Ravens WR Odell Beckham Jr. Consoles QB Lamar Jackson During AFC Title Loss
Sunday marked one of the biggest games in the city of Baltimore's history, but it also marked the ending to the storybook run for the hometown Ravens as they saw the Kansas City Chiefs capture the AFC Championship for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
The Ravens, who secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC after a 13-4 regular season, looked unstoppable at times during the 2023-24 campaign, but that could not have been further from the truth on Sunday. Late in the game when the result was already decided, veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was seen consoling quarterback Lamar Jackson on the sideline.
Jackson, who had an elite season at quarterback for the Ravens, did not play his best ball on Sunday. Although he threw for 272 yards (22 of which went to Beckham) and a touchdown, he also threw an interception at a critical moment in the second half, and he also lost a fumble as a rusher.
© Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Based on previous comments from the quarterback, this playoff run meant a lot to Jackson, so being emotional after this deciding game is certainly understandable. Despite his fiery personality, Beckham has also seen his fair share of disappointment at times in his NFL career which began in 2014, so he is a perfect candidate to help Lamar through some of these struggles after the game.
It's hard not to register this ending as an abject failure for this stout Ravens team, but the consolation for Baltimore fans is that the team's "championship window" likely isn't closed. They finally reached the AFC title game under Jackson's leadership this season, so now, they just have to take the next step.
