He marked his return from a hamstring injury by throwing four touchdown passes to help the Baltimore Ravens beat the Miami Dolphins 28-6 on Thursday Night Football in Week 9, but it took one play to really get Lamar Jackson going at Hard Rock Stadium. A play the two-time NFL MVP revealed, “kind of ticked me off a little bit.”
Jackson was speaking to reporters after the game on October 30 and admitted an early incompletion, when he tried to target wide receiver Rashod Bateman, got him motivated.
The play occurred on the Ravens’ opening possession. Jackson explained, “I missed a pass to ‘Bate’ [Rashod Bateman] on the first drive, so it was going through my mind the whole game. I just wanted to put points on the board. I didn’t want to start off too slow. After that play happened, I was ready to go. It kind of ticked me off a little bit,” per Ravens.com Editorial Director Ryan Mink.
Jackson needed the wake-up call because he also admitted to feeling “rusty early,” according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.
There was an obvious difference in Jackson after the miss with Bateman, particularly during the second half. That was when he began to look more like the league’s premier dual-threat playmaker, using his legs to make what head coach John Harbaugh called “the key play of the whole game.”
Lamar Jackson Grew Into Prolific Return
It was understandable Jackson would have to go on a journey of sorts to get back to his best, having not played since Week 4. His growing comfort was summed up by nine-straight completions after he’d shaken off the rust, per The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker.
Yet, no play personified Jackson’s growing comfort level more than a 13-yard scramble to convert on 3rd-and-6 in the third quarter.
The importance of Jackson moving the chains was not lost on Harbaugh, and not only because it showed No. 8’s hamstring was holding up. Harbaugh, who knows the Ravens face potential league punishment for the way they handled Jackson’s comeback, also acknowledged, “that was probably the key play of the whole game. Because if not, you’re back, you’re kind of in that second-quarter mode still, and that’s what Lamar can do, and that’s what he did. Lamar had a great game,” per Mink.
This was indeed vintage Jackson, who was playing in win-or-go-home mode. The scramble reawakened the running and throwing sensation pro defenses fear. The Dolphins had no answers as Jackson began moving the pocket at will, performing Houdini-esque acts to escape pressure and creating monster plays through the air by throwing on the move.
One of the best examples of the latter helped Bateman redeem himself after some early mistakes.
Rashod Bateman Eventually Got Going
Tight ends loved the return of Jackson, with veteran All-Pro Mark Andrews catching two touchdowns, while younger understudy Charlie Kolar snagged another scoring grab, but it was a different story for Bateman.
While fellow wideout Zay Flowers immediately resumed a fruitful rapport with Jackson, Bateman struggled. The first-quarter incompletion was just one part of Bateman’s problem, as he was later flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for berating a sideline official when the receiver thought he’d drawn a pass interference penalty from the Miami secondary.
It was shaping up to be a night to forget for Bateman, until he reeled in Jackson’s fourth scoring strike. The play, highlighted by NFL UK & Ireland, summed up what’s possible with Jackson back in the lineup.
Playing man coverage meant the Dolphins didn’t have enough eyes on Jackson, who was able to move freely up the pocket to elude pressure. Bateman, like any good receiver should, tracked his QB’s movement and adjusted to get open.
He’d inadvertently gotten Jackson motivated with the earlier miscommunication, but Bateman stay focused to benefit from a signal-caller who’d rediscovered his swagger. If they’re going to beat history, the Ravens will need many more such plays between Jackson and his receivers.
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