Three reasons Lamar Jackson, Ravens just missed best shot at Super Bowl

The Baltimore Ravens fell to the Kansas City Chiefs 17-10 in the AFC Championship game on Sunday. It's the closest QB Lamar Jackson has come to the Super Bowl in his career. Here are three reasons why it's the closest he may ever come.

Weakest opponents

There may never be another season when the Ravens' playoff opponents were as weak as they were this year. Baltimore began the postseason by hosting the Texans and rookie QB C.J. Stroud. Stroud had a great season but there's a reason a rookie quarterback has never led his team to a Super Bowl.

Then the Ravens got to host arguably the weakest Patrick Mahomes' team in his career. The Chiefs' wide receivers were inconsistent all year and TE Travis Kelce was another year older.

If Baltimore would have won the AFC title game, it would be facing the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. The Ravens dominated the 49ers 33-19 in Week 16. Jackson may never again get such a favorable path to a Super Bowl.

Postseason struggles continue

Jackson is the favorite to win his second NFL MVP this season, which is an impressive regular season award. But when it comes to the playoffs, his struggles continued.

In the biggest game of Jackson's career, he fumbled and threw a terrible interception into triple coverage in the end zone with the game on the line. Jackson is now 2-4 in his postseason career and has thrown as many interceptions (six) as he has touchdowns.

Elite defense wasted

Baltimore had one of the best defenses in the league all season, allowing the fewest points per game (16.5) and sixth fewest total yards per game (301.4). That remained true on Sunday has it held Kansas City to just 17 points, including a shutout in the second half.

However, Jackson and the offense couldn't muster at least eight more points to win the game, despite several opportunities to do so. Rosters change every year, and the Ravens have several key players that are free agents this offseason. Jackson may have just wasted the best defense of his career.