LA Lakers adopt Jackson’s motto
One of the NBA’s top teams has taken a liking to one of the many slogans that have become a rallying cry for the 2019 Ravens.
The Los Angeles Lakers have adopted the Ravens’ “Nobody Cares, Work Harder” mantra in their 19-3 start to the season, according to The Los Angeles Times.
The mantra appeared in the Lakers’ group chat earlier this week and players empathized with its message.
“That’s kind of the motto we talked about after our loss,” guard Alex Caruso said, via The Los Angeles Times. “Nobody cares if we lose. If we lose, people get excited, people get up for that. We’ve gotten to that point after such a good start.
“For us, it’s not worrying about that. We got to go out there and do our job regardless, sick [or] not sick. It’s going to be harder on certain nights.”
In his postgame news conferences, quarterback Lamar Jackson has frequently worn a T-shirt bearing the motto. After last Sunday’s 20-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers, he explained how he and the rest of the team have used the saying as motivation this season.
“That’s every day,” Jackson said. “Nobody cares about what you’re doing.
“You’ve got to work harder. If you want to be the best, you’ve got to work hard at being the best. If they’re doubting you, work harder. It [doesn’t] matter. It’s their opinion. We’re just going to go.”
Harbaugh: No reaction to broadcaster comments
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he didn’t have any thoughts on Tim Ryan, the 49ers radio color analyst who was suspended by the team for saying Jackson held an edge on faking handoffs because of his “dark skin color with a dark football with a dark uniform.”
“I don’t really know too much about it or understand the context of it and it’s not relevant to what we’re trying to accomplish right now,” Harbaugh said.
After Ryan’s suspension was first reported by The San Francisco Chronicle, cornerback Richard Sherman and other 49ers players came to the defense of Ryan.
Sherman told reporters he thought Ryan “could have used better verbiage. … But I don’t think anybody in this locker room has taken it personally.”
Wide receiver Willie Snead IV on Thursday called Ryan a “sore loser” and said he should “take the ‘L’ and move on.” players: 28 catches for 558 yards and four touchdowns in seven games.
But as the offense changed and Jackson ascended last year, Brown’s production dwindled. He didn’t have a 30-yard game after October. When Brown hit free agency, he signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Buffalo Bills.
The Brown the Ravens will face Sunday at New Era Field is in some ways an improvement on last year’s best iteration.
While his yards per catch have fallen from 17 to 14.5, Brown is 15th in the NFL in receiving yards (882). He also has five touchdowns in12 games, as many as he did all last season.
“His nickname is still ‘Smoke,’ and it’s that for a reason,” defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale said Thursday. “He’s doing really well.”
Publicly, there’s no hard feelings between the two sides. Brown told Buffalo reporters that he was “thankful” for his experience in Baltimore. Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said the chance to “get another go in live-game reps with him will be really exciting.”
Humphrey said Brown’s sure-handedness got his attention on tape. After catching fewer than 50% of his targets last season, Brown has 61 receptions on 91 passes thrown his way in 2019.
“You’ve just got to understand the scouting report,” safety Earl Thomas II said. “If the guy’s fast, you’ve got to know where he’s at. And if it’s your responsibility to take care of the deep part of the field, you’ve got to do that.”
Humphrey, M. Brown questionable for Sunday
Humphrey (thigh), wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (ankle), linebacker Patrick Onwuasor (ankle) and wide receiver Seth Roberts (knee) are questionable for Sunday’s game against the Bills.
All 53 players on the active roster were full participants in the team’s walkthrough Friday, giving it a favorable health situation as it prepares to play two games in five days. On Dec. 12, the Ravens host the New York Jets for “Thursday Night Football.”
“We do feel good about where we’re at,” Harbaugh said after Friday’s practice. “We are healthy and we do understand we play Thursday, so we’re kind of taking that into consideration from a big-picture standpoint with all the different ways that we’re working.”
The Bills ruled out backup offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe (ankle).
Carr honored