Jackson promises to give Patriots defense stern test
Lamar Jackson has seen three-man pass rushes and eight-in-the-box run defenses. He’s been blitzed, spied and dared to beat every manner of zone defense.
And the second-year quarterback has handled it all rather well: Through eight weeks, the Ravens rank first in the NFL in rushing, second in total offense and fourth in scoring.
When their attack is in sync, Jackson can be breathtaking. Five weeks after posting the first perfect passer rating in franchise history, he threatened the NFL’s single- game rushing record for a quarterback. And when the offense is askew, Jackson can stabilize it for just long enough, a superglue that moves like lightning.
In Week 4, Jackson scrambled for 17 yards early in the third quarter of an eventual loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Ravens have had more dynamic runs this season, but maybe not more unlikely ones.
And that is what will worry New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and his historically good defense ahead of Sunday’s prime-time matchup at M&T Bank Stadium.
After faking a handoff to running back Gus Edwards, Jackson started to roll to his right, looking for a receiver headed to the sideline. No one was open, and safety Eric Murray had cut off Jackson’s path out wide. Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi was closing in from the blind side, so Jackson tucked the ball, moved up in the pocket and took off.
Defensive end Olivier Vernon’s dive at Jackson’s feet might’ve touched a shoelace, but no more. Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson grabbed at air as Jackson ran by, speeding to the sideline. Picking up a block from running back Mark Ingram II on linebacker Mack Wilson, Jackson turned the corner before running safely out of bounds.
Jackson has had nine longer carries this season and countless more that went for less. This one was different. There might not be a play more illustrative of his improvisational ability, a talent all his own.
This is not only because of the pocket presence, speed and agility. It’s also because the Ravens had lined up with just 10 players. A man down, Jackson had still managed a first down.
However long he plays in the NFL, Jackson might never face a tougher challenge than this Patriots defense. Over two months it has as many touchdowns scored as allowed (four). It’s second in total defense and pass defense — behind only
the San Francisco 49ers — and fourth in run defense.
According to Football Outsiders, whose efficiency records date to 1986, it’s the best defense ever through eight games.
Jackson has often spoken of his reverence for Patriots legend Tom Brady: The six-time Super Bowl champion and fourtime Most Valuable Player is the “GOAT,” or greatest of all time. But Jackson will be the most influential quarterback on the field Sunday. Even if Jackson and his receiving corps can’t puncture New England’s airtight secondary, it’s his running ability that has lifted him to MVP consideration.
As Belichick said in a conference call Tuesday with Baltimore-area reporters, “We don’t have a guy [to imitate him in practice]. I don’t know if anybody else in the league has a guy either. He’s a very talented player with a great skill set that’s unique. So that will be a big challenge for us to try to do that, no question.”
How the Ravens unleash Jackson
The Ravens have the NFL’s top rushing offense because they also have the NFL’s most mobile quarterback. The Patriots have a top-five run defense largely because they don’t give up big plays. Of the Ravens’ 39 carries of 10-plus yards this season, Jackson has 19; New England has allowed just 15 such rushes all season.
The challenge for the Patriots will be cutting off both of the Ravens’ ground game sources: their traditional running attack, led by Jackson and running backs Ingram and Edwards, and their unplanned offense, which comes to life whenever Jackson scrambles.
Whenever Jackson has the ball, both are dangerous. Six of his 10 longest carries this season have come on zone-read or draw plays, while 10 of his 19 longest have come on scrambles.
In Week 6, with a Cincinnati Bengals safety giving the defense almost eight players in the box, Jackson ran a zone-read option, kept the ball himself, followed lead blockers Nick Boyle and Willie Snead IV off left tackle and coasted for a season-high 36-yard run. He finished the win with a career-high 152 yards.
A week later, against the Seattle Seahawks, Jackson was more dangerous as an ad-libber. In the second quarter, on third-and-10, he ran away from Jamar Taylor’s uncovered cornerback blitz and headed for the first-down sticks. When Jackson realized he could cut in and run for even more yardage, he did that too.
The Ravens haven’t just embraced the chaos Jackson’s legs create; they’ve seemingly tried to organize it. In the fourth quarter of the win at Seattle, on another third-and-long, the Seahawks sent five pass rushers after Jackson and asked All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner to spy him. The protection held up long enough for Edwards to leak out and meet Wagner just across the line of scrimmage.
He did not try to run a route, as expected. He merely tried to get in Wagner’s way. When Edwards landed a block, Jackson wriggled out of the pocket. He wasn’t caught until he was 30 yards downfield. Almost eight minutes later, the Ravens’ drive ended with a field goal and a double-digit lead.
A day later, Harbaugh was asked whether the pass play had, in fact, called for Edwards to block a linebacker.
“I’m not at liberty to divulge that information at this time, in all honesty,” he said. “Seriously.”