Chris Simms Getting Ripped For 'Unserious' Lamar Jackson Take
01/21/2025 01:14 PM
Many NFL fans felt sorry for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson after tight end Mark Andrews' game-tying drop against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. NBC NFL analyst Chris Simms was not one of them.
Appearing on Up & Adams with Kay Adams yesterday, Simms had a rather unique take on the critical play and who was most responsible for the Ravens' loss.
"A lot of people are going to be on Mark Andrews for the dropped two-point conversion," Simms began.
The former NFL quarterback explained that Jackson's throw was late and off-target, putting the onus on Jackson to ensure that the ball is more catchable for Andrews. He believes that the playcall was perfect and while Andrews deserves some blame for not reeling in the ball, it ultimately falls on Jackson because he's "making $55 million a year."
"Throw it, throw it! It's too late, Lamar Jackson's making $55 million a year, that ball needs to be on time, and it was not accurate. Mark Andrews needs to catch it, don't get me wrong, but Lamar Jackson's making $55 million a year and he double-clutched it and threw it like a dart," Simms said.
"This was the perfect play call. So we can't get mad at [Ravens offensive coordinator] Todd Monken. What I'm saying is that Mark Andrews in the meeting today with Baltimore is going to get a negative grade for the drop but also, Lamar Jackson's meeting with his quarterback coach and the offensive coordinator, he's going to get a negative grade for this throw. It was late, he didn't throw it with the same authority he usually throws it, and then he threw it behind him, he made it as hard as it possibly could be for a wide-open touchdown."
NFL fans that saw the clip were stunned that he would say something that appeared so outlandish. ESPN analyst Marcus Spears went so far as to call the take "unserious" while many other NFL fans had far less diplomatic wording to describe it.
"Ain't no way in the world man! This is so unserious," Spears wrote.
Ain't no way in the world man! This is so unserious https://t.co/CmGkrao0Va
— Marcus Spears (@mspears96) January 20, 2025
"He threw it to keep Mark in bounds wtf are you talking about. You even see Lamar soft pump if so that he could catch it. Just call it like you see it the TE gassed out in the biggest moment," another user remarked.
"This in ANY league of football is a must catch. This is not a bad throw, right to his chest. This is ALL on Andrews," wrote another.
"Nah the ball was delivered right in the bread basket. The micro analysis of this play is crazy. Catch. The. Ball!!!" a third remarked.
"Man he showed him the ball then put it right in his stomach. Not as difficult catch as they are making it out to be lol," a fourth pointed out.
To an extent, it is a chicken-or-the-egg argument: Is Andrews responsible for the drop, or is Jackson responsible for not making the ball easier to catch?
We may never know the truth on a mathematical level, but Andrews and Jackson both feel equally terrible for their parts in it.
