Lamar Jackson was the best player on the field when the Baltimore Ravens thumped the New England Patriots Sunday night, but he clearly has a great deal of respect for the quarterback he was playing against. For evidence of that, look no further than the brief conversation Jackson had with Tom Brady on the field following the game.
Brady sought out Jackson after the former Louisville star led the Ravens to a 37-20 win, and he told Jackson he “played great.” Jackson responded by reminding Brady that he is the “GOAT,” or greatest of all time.
Tom Brady: "Great game dude. You played great."
Lamar Jackson: "Goat."
(via @Ravens)pic.twitter.com/21v31w9wQg
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2019
Jackson was better than Brady on Sunday. He was extremely efficient throwing the ball, completing 17-of-23 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown. He also made a huge impact in the running game by racking up 61 rushing yards and scoring two touchdowns on the ground. Jackson did all that against a Patriots defense that many are saying is one of the best in NFL history.
The only thing more impressive than Jackson’s on-field performance was the way he handled himself afterword. While he called Brady the “GOAT” and said it was “pretty cool” going against him in primetime, he added that the only thing that matters to him is winning.
“It’s pretty cool, but I don’t care about the person I’m playing against and I don’t care if it’s a prime-time game or a 1 o’clock game,” Jackson said, per Michael Silver of NFL.com. “I’m just trying to win. That’s all that matters.”
Brady clearly has the respect of his opponents, which we also saw with the gift Odell Beckham Jr. gave him following New England’s win over the Cleveland Browns. He has earned that, but it won’t be long before he is passing the torch. If Jackson continues to play like he did on Sunday, he could be the recipient.
