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The Baltimore Ravens will officially start their NFL season this Thursday when they face the Kansas City Chiefs, and one aspect of that game should feel familiar. Given everything at stake, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson wasn't about to talk like this was a traditional "revenge" game.
"Any game I play in, I feel like it's a revenge game," Jackson said on the team's official website. "I'm not just going to look at this game like a revenge game. Anybody we play, no matter if we've beaten them or lost to them in previous years, I just want to win." Jackson is 1-4 against star quarterback Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs in his career.
But in the high-stakes AFC title game a year ago, highly damaging turnovers - two of them self-generated by Jackson - and despite his MVP award canceled out and helped lead to their demise again as they ultimately went down meekly 17-10 at home.
Jackson's Focused Approach
At the tender age of 27, Jackson doubtlessly realizes the great beginnings of seasons that could springboard the Ravens into home-field advantage throughout an AFC playoff slate. Naturally, his scope is limited to what lies directly before him - not the big picture of an entire season.
"We have to win regular season games [in order] to get to January," he said. "We can't just go into the season and go 5-12, because then we're not going to be in the playoffs. Playoffs are on our mind, but at the same time, we have to win this game that's ahead of us." Coming out of the preseason, Jackson is excited to go from that practice mode standpoint where you're going up against your teammates and get into real game situations.
"I'm ready to go. I've been going against my guys for weeks," said Allen. "It's time to go against somebody else." It will be the Chiefs, who last year ended the Ravens' Super Bowl dreams and provided a easy rematch that immediately melts eyes in excitement.
With the Ravens preparing for that pivotal season opener, focus your eyes on what will undoubtedly shape up as a competitive opening phase of Jackson's year where he wants to go 1-0 every week.
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