OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The shirt that Lamar Jackson wore on Wednesday for his virtual press conference said it all. It read: FINISH.
"We’re in the hunt but we’re out of the playoffs. So, each and every week is a playoff week for us. So, that’s the mindset we got to have," said the Ravens quarterback.
Two games remain in the push for the playoffs. Sunday brings the New York Giants (5-9) for the Ravens’ regular season home finale. It’s a must-win for both teams. As of now for the Ravens (9-5) to earn a postseason spot they need to win their final two games and need a loss by either Cleveland, Indianapolis or Miami.
"We’re not focused on the outside, other teams and stuff like that," said Jackson. "We’re focused on ourselves."
"We understand the playoffs are there and getting there is important," added left tackle Orlando Brown, Jr. "But, it’s important that we win the next game and the next game and the next game."
"I do know that we just got to win out to have the best shot," said cornerback Marlon Humphrey. "I know there’s certain scenarios where [we make the playoffs] even if we don’t win out, but the biggest goal is to just win out."
The Giants have the same goal. They are still in the hunt for the NFC East. They bring their sixth-ranked rush defense to town to oppose the Ravens No. 1 rushing attack.
"The Giants are fighting for a division championship. The Giants have won four of their last six games. They beat Seattle three weeks ago in Seattle," said Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh. "They can pound the ball running the ball. They can stop the run. We have a very tough challenge in front of us. We understand that."
As for who will be playing quarterback for New York, that’s still up in the air. No word yet on whether it will be Daniel Jones or backup Colt McCoy.
The scoreboard watching will start on Saturday night for the Ravens. That's when Miami visits Las Vegas. With a Dolphins loss the Ravens will control their own playoff destiny.
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