Three-straight wins and victory in his 100th NFL start isn’t enough to make Lamar Jackson completely satisfied, and the star quarterback has sent a warning to his Baltimore Ravens teammates about maintaining momentum after beating the Minnesota Vikings 27-19 in Week 10.
Speaking after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, November 9, Jackson told reporters, including ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, “there’s still a lot of ball left, you know? You gotta stay locked in. You can’t get complacent or nothing like that, you gotta stay locked in.”
Although he was talking with the media, Jackson was really addressing his own team. His words were a tacit warning to the Ravens not to get too buoyed by their recent mini revival.
It’s a timely message from the team’s key playmaker and natural leader. Jackson knows the suddenly red hot Ravens can go much further than 4-5.
If they do, it will be thanks in large part to the continued excellence of the two-time NFL MVP who’s thriving back at the controls of their offense.
Lamar Jackson Powering Ravens’ Revival
Even though he threw for only one touchdown, a two-yarder to All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews in the fourth quarter, Jackson underlined his value to the Ravens in multiple ways. Specifically, by rushing nine times for 36 yards and, more importantly, staying efficient against pressure from the Vikings.
Jackson was always going to be under siege from a Vikings defense designed and called by Brian Flores. He’s one of the most creative, blitz-happy defensive coordinators in the league, a reputation Flores lived up to by sending extra rushers after Jackson early and often.
Fortunately for the Ravens, No. 8 adapted his game brilliantly to beat the blitz. The Vikes blitzed Jackson “on 58% of his dropbacks Sunday, the 5th-highest rate of his career. He got the ball out of his hands quickly, averaging 4.1 air yards per attempt, his lowest in a game with 20+ attempts in his career,” according to Hensley, citing ESPN Research.
Leaning into the quick game was how Jackson found a way to win. Doing that has defined his century of starts in the pros, even if Baltimore’s QB1 wasn’t fully aware of his own career history.
Lamar Jackson Not Focused on History
Jackson told Hensley he didn’t “know anything about” this being his 100th start, “but it’s cool to get a win on the 100th start, that’s pretty dope.”
Whether or not Jackson was as oblivious to history as he claims, he’s still the player who determines whether the Ravens win or lose. The player who also safeguards the fate of head coach John Harbaugh.
He’s faced pressure earlier this season, but Harbaugh knows when Jackson’s healthy anything is possible. Perhaps that’s why Harbaugh proclaimed this about Jackson after the win in Minnesota, “In his mind, he’s just beginning,” per Hensley.
Harbaugh had better hope so because Jackson staying upright and on form is still the best chance for the coach who’s been in the job since 2008 to finally deliver another championship. Talk of a title is still nothing but hot air for this season’s Ravens, who first have to get firmly back into playoff contention.
It’s why Jackson, the man most responsible for making that happen, is letting his teammates know they can’t rest on their laurels after rebounding from losing four straight.
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