(Photo: Reuters)
I remember when Lamar Jackson was dominating the game at the NCAA level with the Louisville Cardinals. He finished that season with 51 total touchdowns (30 passing and 21 rushing). Following his 2017 season, he announced that he was entering the NFL Draft, and that draft class turned out to be a memorable one. Baker Mayfield was selected first overall by the Cleveland Browns, Sam Darnold went third overall to the New York Jets, and the Buffalo Bills selected a quarterback out of Wyoming named Josh Allen. Lamar was the final pick of the first round, going 32nd overall to the Baltimore Ravens. He would go on to become the starting quarterback in 2018 and win his first league MVP award in 2019, becoming a superstar in the process. This year has been a tough one for the All-Pro quarterback. He missed three games with an ankle injury, returned today against the Buffalo Bills, and left the game with an apparent hand injury. Following today’s loss to the Bills, it was announced that he would be placed on Injured Reserve and would need surgery on his thumb.
Lamar is one of the three or four best quarterbacks in the league when healthy and is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks I’ve had the privilege of watching. I feel he’s one of the toughest quarterbacks to prepare for as a defender because he’s constantly moving. If you don’t display patience while defending him, he will hurt you in so many ways, especially if you overpursue him or attempt to blitz him without getting home. I’ve often labeled him as Houdini because of his God-given ability to evade pressure, escape defenders, and keep plays alive. Lamar finds ways to move and scramble out of duress. I’ve always felt he was misunderstood as a quarterback because of the narrative surrounding him. People often label him a running quarterback, but in actuality, he’s looking to make his reads and throw the football. When those passing options are eliminated, that’s when he takes off and runs. He’s so dangerous in space with the football in his hands, which has made him one of the more difficult players to bring down and tackle. His skill set, along with his mobility as a runner, has forced defenses to change how they approach Baltimore’s offense as a whole simply because you never know what angle he’s going to attack you from. Outside of the way he moves, his pocket awareness is among the best in the league. He’s excellent at sensing pressure and knows how to maneuver within the pocket. When it comes to passing, Lamar can fire the football downfield, especially when defenses load the box and commit to stopping the run. That plays right into his hands. Going back to what makes him so difficult to prepare for, if you play man coverage, Lamar can exploit running lanes. If you elect to play zone, he can find receivers in the passing game. If you decide to send a blitz and become too aggressive, as I mentioned earlier, that allows him to escape and create with his feet. If you keep a spy on him, that reduces the number of defenders available to cover receivers. Everything I’ve mentioned is exactly why he’s so difficult to defend when healthy.
Lamar forces defenses to account for him as both a runner and a passer. He is the perfect combination of athleticism, mobility, elite arm talent, and playmaking ability. This is tough news for one of the superstars of the league. When it was announced that he would be returning for the showdown against the Buffalo Bills, I was excited because he’s must-see TV when he’s healthy and on the field. The Ravens have had their share of problems this season, and this only adds to them. Even his backup, Tyler Huntley, got injured today and is expected to miss some time, which means the Ravens are now down to their third-string quarterback. I’m wishing Lamar a speedy recovery and hope he can get back on the field soon.
