Facing QB Jackson requires plan of attack
When the Los Angeles Chargers beat Baltimore in the AFC wild-card playoffs last season, they used an unconventional strategy against quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The Chargers deployed seven defensive backs, lining up safeties Jahleel Addae and Derwin James at linebacker. They had seven defensive backs on the field on 58 of their 59 defensive snaps in the victory.
Jackson completed just 14 of 29 passes against Los Angeles for 194 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He was sacked seven times, finishing with a 78.8 passer rating. He rushed for 54 yards.
Could this game serve as a blueprint for other defenses facing Jackson, including the Texans on Sunday in Baltimore? Not exactly.
Now with the Texans, Addae recalled how the strategy unfolded.
“I played linebacker in that game, surprisingly,” Addae said. “We had seven DBs in the game for speed to try to contain Lamar. Our defensive line did a good job of getting pressure on him and containing him.
“The guy is elusive. He can throw the ball. He can run it. We’ve got to hone in this week, get in our rush lanes and get all 11 hats to the ball. He’s that elusive that you need more than one guy to get him down in the open field.”
Jackson and the Ravens’ offense has evolved a lot since that game. They lead the NFL in scoring offense and Jackson has made improvements mechanically.
“Seeing him now, he’s upped his game even more,” Addae said. “That’s a credit to him becoming a total package quarterback. He’s a modern-day Michael Vick.”
Texans coach Bill O’Brien disagreed with the suggestion that the Chargers’ strategy could simply be duplicated against the Ravens now.
“I would say they’re a lot different than they were last year,” O’Brien said. “They’ve evolved.”
Another technique the Texans could try to apply would be assigning a designated spy to shadow Jackson. Among the top candidates for that job: Addae, safety Justin Reid, and inside linebackers Dylan Cole and Zach Cunningham.
“Sometimes, you can put a spy on him,” defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel said. “About spying and the guy you spy, he needs to be able to catch him. So far, I haven’t seen anybody who can catch that guy, so that’s the problem.”