Ravens’ Lamar Jackson is on target for another MVP shot،
OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is once again a strong candidate for NFL MVP, but he excels as a dual-threat in a different way .
In 2019, Jackson became the second unanimous selection for NFL MVP when he led the league in touchdown passes and rushing yards by a quarterback. Midway through this season, he’s being praised as much for his accuracy in the passing game as his legs. Jackson can become the first player in league history to connect on over 70% of his passes and rush for over 500 yards.
When asked why his completion rate jumped to 71.5 percent this season, Jackson paused, glanced to the side and smiled.
“What if I don’t have an answer?” Jackson replied. “I don’t know; just hard work, dedication, going out there and competing hard, that’s it.
“Nothing has really changed, just the percentage, if anything.”
In fact, Jackson has seen a lot of changes this season. He has a new offensive coordinator in Todd Monken, who is detail-oriented, especially when it comes to the route running. It also feels like Jackson, who said Monken gave him “the keys to the offense” this offseason, is in command.
Jackson’s targets also look different. This time last year, Baltimore’s top receivers were Demarcus Robinson, Devin Duvernay, James Proche and DeSean Jackson. Now it’s Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor.
In terms of production, Jackson made his biggest jump on intermediate throws. On passes that traveled between 10 and 20 yards in the air, Jackson’s completion rate is 75% (36 of 48). No other quarterback this season has connected on more than 69% of these throws.
“He can make every throw that all these other quarterbacks make. He’s really showing it this year,” Browns safety Juan Thornhill said. “He’s sitting in that pocket. He’s delivering those passes. He’s showing the world he’s a quarterback.”
Jackson has never been more relevant in his six seasons in the NFL. He is at a career high in non-target percentage (14.2%), interception rate (1.2%), and completion percentage above expectations (plus-4.1%). .
But Jackson also remains a threat to avoid. His 440 rushing yards lead all quarterbacks. The only quarterbacks to complete more than 70% of their passes and rush for more than 400 yards in a season are Taysom Hill and Deshaun Watson (both in 2020), according to ESPN Stats & Information.
“You have to defend his legs,” Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum said. “He’s one of the most electrifying players in the league, but he can also throw a heck of a ball.
“He’s done a tremendous job. We have a lot of good weapons that can get the ball. When the time comes where he needs to run, he can run. When he needs to throw, he can throw.”
The next step for Jackson is more consistency on his deep throws. In Sunday’s 37-3 win over the Seattle Seahawks, Bateman got behind the defense twice and Jackson missed both times. He knocked Bateman down once, then threw it out of bounds on the other occasion.
Jackson completed 31.8% (7 of 22) on passes that traveled more than 25 yards, which ranked 20th in the league. Since 2019, he has completed just 39 of those passes, which ranks 17th in the NFL.
“We hit them regularly in practice,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “I think sometimes you make a decision, maybe just to throw it away. Other times you might be a step or two further than you want to be or shorter than you want to be.
“Overall, I’m very confident in our deep passing game. I’m very confident we’re going to make these plays in the coming weeks.”
