Crazy Lamar Jackson play gives Vikings fans flashbacks of former QB

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson caught one of his own pass attempts on Sunday, just like former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brad Johnson did in 1997.

If Minnesota Vikings fans tuned in to Sunday’s AFC Championship between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, they probably had a flashback to a play made by Brad Johnson when he was with the purple and gold in 1997.

With less than six minutes remaining in the second quarter, quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ offense faced a 2nd-and-5 from their own 18-yard line.

Jackson took the snap, and shortly after getting the football in his hands, he fired a pass to his left. His pass wound up getting tipped in the air by a Chiefs defender, but before the ball could hit the ground, Jackson swooped in, caught his own pass, and proceeded to turn the crazy play into a 13-yard gain for Baltimore.

Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson does his best impression of former Minnesota Vikings QB Brad Johnson

CBS Sports’ Tony Romo couldn’t contain his excitement in the TV booth after Jackson’s improbable catch, and he described the play as one of the best anyone will ever see in an AFC Championship.

It was a cool play, Tony, but Jackson’s first touchdown pass of the matchup in the opening quarter, in which he eluded multiple Kansas City defenders before tossing a 30-yard pass downfield for a touchdown, was easily much more impressive.

Anyways, the play in which the Baltimore quarterback managed to catch his own pass quickly generated a reaction from some Vikings fans online who remembered when Johnson made a similar play in a Minnesota uniform during the 1997 season.

Johnson’s pitch and catch to himself didn’t gain as many yards as Jackson was able to. However, unlike Jackson, the former Vikings quarterback turned his improbable reception into a touchdown for his team.

The score wound up giving Minnesota a seven-point lead in a game against the Carolina Panthers that the Vikings eventually won by a final score of 21-14.

These types of plays don’t happen very often in the NFL, but when guys like Jackson and Johnson are able to take their potential mistakes into positives for their team, it’s always fun to watch.