Sunday afternoon, the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs took the field in the 2024 AFC Championship Game.
It was a matchup between two deserving teams that boast two talented, impressive quarterbacks, each in their own way. On one side, you have a magician who can create something out of nothing with his arm on any given play. On the other, you've got a guy who is not only a prolific passer but can use his legs better than just about anyone who's ever played the position.
Patrick Mahomes has already won the Super Bowl and league MVP, but Lamar Jackson is determined to earn the former hardware to go with his MVP as well. The Ravens quarterback is coming off a phenomenal season which saw his team finish with the no. 1 overall seed in the conference and number 8 en route to his second MVP award.
In the second quarter of the game, Jackson put his unbelievable playmaking ability on display. It was a 2nd-and-5 from his own 18-yard line. The stakes weren't too high just yet and it was only a one-score game. But, the result of the following play will go down as one of the most ridiculous, improbably, hilarious and downright fantastic plays you'll ever see in the NFL.
Lamar Jackson completed a pass to himself in the AFC Championship Game as only he could do.
LAMAR FREAKIN' JACKSON.
β NFL (@NFL) January 28, 2024
πΊ: #KCvsBAL on CBS
π±: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/IIZbdmhqNS pic.twitter.com/mZGuyakLrX
And, my oh my, the fan and media reactions were absolutely gold.
I want to be Lamar Jackson when I grow up
β Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) January 28, 2024
Lamar Jackson is the greatest show on earth.
β Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod πΈπ΄ (@big_business_) January 28, 2024
#LamarJackson pic.twitter.com/WthiuIksGO
β Cole Ward (@coleward34) January 28, 2024
Who had Lamar Jackson receiving his own pass on their playoff BINGO card?!
β Tom Davis (@Mistletoe_Tom) January 28, 2024
That was probably the greatest play in the NFL history by Lamar Jackson.
β πΈπ©π° π₯π¦πΊ π (@StripesAllDey) January 28, 2024
Ainβt no denying that.
Lamar Jackson With The
β MikeJEvolved (@MikeJEvolved) January 28, 2024
"Immaculate Reception" 2.0
Lamar Jackson did a Nelson Muntz #KCvsBAL pic.twitter.com/qS1p6hClaM
β Oscar Gonzalez (@OGreporter) January 28, 2024
Iβm a Bills fan but Lamar Jackson just threw himself a 13 yard completion give this man MVP #RavensFlock
β Brian (@DowneyUSA) January 28, 2024
Lamar Jackson throwing the ball to himself pic.twitter.com/0OZjy9UNMX
β Medium-Rare Bert (@robojanek) January 28, 2024
That Lamar Jackson play was better than Cam Newtonβs entire NFL career
β Ascot Friday (@Ascot_Friday) January 28, 2024
(letβs get spicy on here!)
We've got hilarious memes and gifs galore (go ahead and do a search for yourself ... there's plenty more), fans in total amazement, a Simpsons reference, the Ben Affleck classic, a Buffalo Bills fan admitting Jackson is the league MVP, and many others. The possibilities were endless when it came to instant reactions.
Also, I'm not so sure I would go as far to say that Jackson's throw and catch was the greatest play in the history of football, but it was absolutely spectacular.
Unfortunately, the Ravens ended up with zero points on that drive, but Jackson gave us one of the most memorable plays in NFL Playoff history.
Baltimore's quarterback is also probably just a few days away from being named the NFL's Most Valuable Player, and why shouldn't he be? The man is proving he can, indeed, do it all.