Jackson’s Passing Has Rejuvenated Ravens’ Offense

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Colts proprietor Jim Irsay was truthful impressed with Lamar Jackson that he took to Twitter the adjacent time — and said the Baltimore quarterback’s show against Indianapolis mightiness person been the champion successful NFL history.

And Irsay, arsenic helium explained successful his tweet, was astatine Wrigley Field the time Gale Sayers scored six touchdowns.

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The superlatives support rolling successful for Jackson, who threw for 442 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 31-25 overtime win over Indianapolis connected Monday night. It wasn’t rather a cleanable nighttime for Jackson, who fumbled adjacent the extremity line, but aft that turnover the Ravens scored touchdowns connected their last 4 possessions.

The backmost who has faced questions astir his passing quality finished 37 of 43 successful that department, starring Baltimore to a triumph connected a nighttime erstwhile its moving crippled wasn’t up to its accustomed standard.

“Man, it’s special. He’s conscionable scratching the aboveground connected however bully helium tin be,” Ravens antiaircraft lineman Calais Campbell said. “I deliberation he’s inactive 24 years old. I mean, this is brainsick — what he’s susceptible of doing. I cognize he’s notorious for what helium tin bash with his legs, and I consciousness similar helium got a batch of disrespect connected his limb talent, and I deliberation a batch of radical are eating their words close now.”

Jackson won MVP honors 2 seasons ago, and it’s been wide for a portion that his blend of passing and moving tin beryllium truly hard to defend.

In truth, he’s been beauteous businesslike throwing the shot passim his career, completing 64.5% of his passes with 76 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

Still, it was just to constituent retired that Jackson hasn’t attempted much than 401 passes successful a play — successful a league wherever apical quarterbacks routinely surpass 500. If you added Jackson’s passing and rushing yardage, helium accounted for 4,333 yards successful his MVP play but conscionable 3,762 past season.

The Ravens finished archetypal successful the NFL successful rushing and past successful passing successful 2020 — and that added up to a No. 19 ranking successful full offense.

This play the Ravens are No. 1 successful full offense. Jackson’s passing and rushing adds up to 1,860 yards — besides the champion people successful the league. That should marque immoderate remaining critics of Jackson’s passing quality a small quieter.

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“I don’t cognize if they’re going to halt talking astir it. I don’t truly know,” Jackson said. “All I cognize is my absorption is connected winning.”

Whether by plan oregon necessity — Baltimore’s apical 2 moving backs went down with season-ending injuries — Jackson is throwing more, and he’s handling it impressively. He’s averaging 33 walk attempts per game, up from 25 past season.

“Look astatine the past mates of games, he’s conscionable calm, composed, and he’s a leader, man,” choky extremity Mark Andrews said. “That’s what we each look to. There were mistakes. There were a mates mistakes that were made, but helium conscionable keeps connected coming.”

Jackson is besides doing this without each the targets helium was expecting to play with. Rookie receiver Rashod Bateman hasn’t played yet due to the fact that of groin problems, and newcomer Sammy Watkins near Monday’s crippled with a hamstring injury.

Jackson ended up targeting Andrews and Marquise Brown a combined 23 times against the Colts. They caught 20 passes for 272 yards and each 4 Baltimore touchdowns.

Jackson’s large crippled came connected a nighttime erstwhile the Ravens had their streak of 43 consecutive 100-yard rushing games snapped. After sputtering done the archetypal half, Baltimore unleashed Jackson successful the second. He threw for 335 yards aft halftime.

“He decidedly went to different level successful that game. That level was beauteous awesome I would say, and it was awesome to watch,” manager John Harbaugh said. “But I’m not surprised.”

This coming week, Jackson faces Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers successful a matchup of part leaders. It’s present wide that the Chargers — and the remainder of Baltimore’s opponents — request to respect the Ravens’ antecedently maligned passing game.

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“I’ve been believing successful myself. The Ravens’ enactment has been believing successful me,” Jackson said. “I truly haven’t seen my highest yet. It’s inactive aboriginal successful the season.”