A work in progress
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson endures a rookie QB’s ups and downs in his NFL debut.
CANTON, OHIO — The Baltimore Ravens began their 2018 preseason with a former Heisman Trophy winner under center. He just wasn’t the Heisman winner everyone had waited four months to watch on an NFL field.
The man with the keys to a revamped offense was Robert Griffin III, signed as a potential backup quarterback before the Ravens used a first-round draft pick on the newer model, Lamar Jackson.
Jackson was in uniform Thursday evening and made his pro debut in the Ravens’ 17-16 Hall of Fame Game win over the Chicago Bears. But fans had to wait to watch the next potential face of the franchise.
Griffin played most of the first half against the Bears, leading the Ravens to a 10-7 lead. And even Josh Woodrum, fourth on the team’s quarterback depth chart, entered the game before Jackson.
The former Boynton Beach High and Louisville sensation finished the first half right where he started it, on the sideline with his helmet clamped on his head.
Fans greeted Jackson with an enthusiastic ovation when he entered the game to start the second half. He scrambled twice for 5 yards on a three-and-out first drive. But he gave the crowd something real to cheer about after a strip by rookie safety DeShon Elliott gave the Ravens the ball on Chicago’s 36-yard line.
With a breathtaking run and several deftly placed passes, Jackson drove the Ravens to the end zone, capping the drive with an 8-yard touchdown strike to fellow first-round pick Hayden Hurst.
On the next drive, Jackson looked like the rookie he is, hanging a too-soft pass toward the sideline that was intercepted by cornerback Doran Grant. Jackson finished 4-for-10 for 33 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and ran eight times for 25 yards.
Those who have watched Jackson at Ravens practices know he’s
a work in progress whose passes often flutter or miss the intended target. But that hasn’t stopped chatter about when he’ll take the starting job from Joe Flacco.
There was no comparison to be made Thursday as Flacco sat out the game, along with most of the starters.
With Flacco and Jackson guaranteed to make the 53-man roster, Griffin is trying to convince the Ravens to carry a third quarterback or at least look good enough to draw interest from another team after he did not play in 2017.
Griffin threw an interception on the Ravens’ first drive of the game, but the pass bounced off the hands of receiver Breshad Perriman. That turnover set up a quick touchdown drive for the Bears.
Griffin was sacked three times and driven from the pocket several others before leaving the game midway through the second quarter. He finished 7-for-11 for 58 yards.
“It’s a blessing,” he said of his return to the field after a year away. “People don’t understand that once you’re out of the league for a year, it’s really hard to get back in, especially if you’re a quarterback and a high draft pick. Today was an emotional day for me, just coming back out here.”
Griffin had to make his case without help from any of the team’s top three receivers — Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead IV. They were among more than 20 Ravens who watched the game from the sideline without donning pads.
Before the game, the guest of honor, Hall of Fame inductee Ray Lewis, kicked off the festivities in classic fashion, performing his trademark dance for an appreciative crowd.
For all the excitement about Jackson, Lewis’ No. 52 still predominated in the purple sections of the crowd, a reminder of the playoff glory the Ravens hope to recapture.