Stephen A. Smith Destroys Lamar Jackson After AFC Championship Game Loss To Chiefs

The world may never know a bigger hater than ESPN First Take star Stephen A. Smith.

No matter who you are, or what you’ve accomplished, if you lay an egg in a big game, Smith is going to be right there waiting for you with all the smoke.

On Monday morning, it was Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson‘s turn.

Jackson went 20-of-37 for 272 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 17-10 home loss to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday. He also had a key fumble early in the second quarter.

Stephen A. Smith Claims That Lamar Jackson Choked Against Kansas City Chiefs

So when Smith took to the airwaves for Monday’s show, you already knew he was going to be ready to unload on the likely NFL MVP.

“[Patrick] Mahomes is great, he’s phenomenal, he’s the greatest ever… but the big story is Lamar Jackson,” Smith said. “Ladies and gentlemen, with all due respect, this was a choke job. Let’s just call it what it is. What is the definition of a choke job? It’s doing what you always do, what you’re accustomed to doing, until the moment arrives, and then you don’t. That is the definition of what we’re talking about over here.”

It’s hard to argue with his point.

The loss moves  Jackson to 2–4 in the playoffs in his career. He’s completed fewer than 60% of his passes in all four of those losses.

Jackson’s talent is undeniable. At his best, he’s nearly unplayable for opposing defenses.

But too often in the playoffs he’s been far from at his best. And that’s just not going to be nearly good enough when you’re coming up against fellow superstar quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow.