Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Lamar Jackson has played some of his best football this year, and yesterday was the peak
Before the season began, I picked Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson to win MVP. The new offense spearheaded by offensive coordinator Todd Monken and new receiving weapons would help aid Lamar, who had made big leaps in his overall game even after winning MVP in 2019.
On Sunday, those ideas came to fruition in a 38-6 drubbing of the Detroit Lions. Lamar was masterful, completing 21-of-27 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns, while also running for one. If advanced stats is your thing, Jackson finished first among all QBs who played a minimum of 10 snaps in adjusted EPA per play and eighth in success rate. Jackson was in total control of the entire game, and the new offense has really highlighted how talented he is of a passer, plus how much he has grown.
Lamar’s pocket presence and management is among the best in the NFL. Yes, he’s a one of one athlete, but it’s not just evading pressure to go and run. It’s subtle pocket movements that he does to just create enough space to get passes off on time and accurately. Once he gets out of the pocket on the Nelson Agholor touchdown, look at the small movements to create space. He’s in the Matrix, and every other defender looks so much slower.
One area where Jackson has excelled this year and improved is in his passing from the pocket. Through seven games, Jackson has posted his highest On-Target Rate from the pocket in his career, and the second highest Positive Play Rate of his career. Jackson has been a much better passer this year, but I think a lot of that is due to the more openness of the offense and how it highlights his strengths as a passer. Jackson throws with such exceptional touch that he can layer passes over linebackers in the intermediate areas of the field. That is being highlighted by Monken and the playcalling to free up receivers.
On this play, the Ravens run play action, with TE Mark Andrews running an over route. The Lions are in Cover 3, and to protect their LBs from having to defend much bigger or much faster targets, the safety in the deep middle third comes down hard on the Andrews over route. However, the Ravens also run WR Zay Flowers on a dig behind it. Watch the touch on this pass by Jackson, who zips it right over the linebacker’s head and into the waiting hands of Flowers.
When I say Jackson was in the Matrix on Sunday, it really felt like Jackson was just one step ahead of the Lions defense on every play, especially as a passer. The Lions would send pressure but it wouldn’t matter because Lamar was beating them with his arm and his legs. This play gets aided a bit by a Patrick Ricard check release, but the Lions have this switch vertical concept covered, and a free runner on Lamar. Doesn’t matter though, because Lamar once again shows exceptional touch and layers this pass to Beckham for the first down.
This play probably won’t get as much run because of the fireworks show that the Ravens had on the offensive side of the ball, but it really shows how Lamar was playing on another level Sunday. He’s trying to work this ball to Mark Andrews on the left side of the field, but the Lions are in man and have everything wadded up, but Lamar doesn’t panic. Look at how quickly he gets to the backside of this play, a deep curl route by WR Rashod Bateman, and fires this ball to move the chains.
Lamar has always been a unique player, a proficient pocket passer who just so happens to be one of the most dynamic threats with the ball in his hands that the NFL has ever seen. Finally seeing a team not only harness that ability as a passer, but maximize it in an NFL passing offense is paying off in a major way for the Ravens, and it has Jackson at the top of most MVP boards.
