Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and Lightning McQueen (L to R). Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and Lightning McQueen (L to R). (Jackson photo from Tommy Gilligan/Imagn Images, Henry photo from Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images, Lightning McQueen photo from disney.fandom.com.)
DisneyNFLPop CultureBy Andrew Bucholtz on

Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson wants the world to know he’s watched the 2006 Disney/Pixar animated film Cars, but only when he was a kid. In a postgame press conference following the Ravens’ 28-14 Wild Card round demolition of the Pittsburgh Steelers Saturday night, Jackson was asked about an impressive 44-yard TD run from teammate Derrick Henry in the third quarter, and responded with a Cars analogy, but first made it clear he hadn’t watched the film recently (and roasted one reporter as being “too old to watch Cars“:

“It looked like a movie clip, you know when, like, I’m going to give Cars, you know the movie Cars? You’re a little bit too old to watch Cars, but anyway. It’s for kids, you know, and I was a kid when I watched it. I was a kid when I watched Cars, that’s all I’m saying. But you know when Lightning McQueen’s just flying, flashing past, and it’s like [sound effects]? That’s how Derrick looked when he was running past, and all those guys just…it looked like a movie, bro, I’m not going to lie to you. But I’d rather be watching it than be on the other side of the ball.”

ESPN reporter Jamison Hensley later revealed that he was the source of this question, and wrote it up entertainingly here. Meanwhile, Henry posted about this on X with an “IFYKYK” (if you know, you know):

For reference, here are some clips of Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) flashing past from the Cars franchise:

There’s certainly some merit to the analogy. But it’s funny that Jackson insists he only watched Cars as a kid (which he likely did; he would have been nine when the first movie came out). As Stephen A. Smith has shown, you can talk Cars at any age.

At any rate, this was a much more upbeat and fun press conference than some of the ones taking place on the Pittsburgh side after this embarrassing loss for the Steelers. And Jackson, Henry (an underrated key to the Baltimore offense), and the Ravens are moving on to the divisional round. We’ll see if Henry provides any more Lightning McQueen moments there.

 

About Andrew Bucholtz

Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.

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