Ravens Report Card: Grading Lamar Jackson vs. Colts
The number one thing Ravens fans want to see during the preseason is obviously Lamar Jackson. This was Jackson’s third preseason game, how did it go?
Lamar Jackson showed flashes of brilliance but he showed once again he wasn’t ready to be the guy. Jackson went 7-15 for 49 yards passing and a touchdown. Jackson also rushed for 26 yards. His touchdown in the red zone was everything that got him to be a first round pick. He rolled out and made a dime on the move. It was his best decision-making of the night and it resulted in six points.
Overall it was a frustrating performance with some redeeming moments. Now it’s time to get to the grade book.
QB. Ravens. LAMAR JACKSON. C. The biggest problem with Lamar Jackson is that is that the game isn’t flowing for him yet. He’s trying too hard. His accuracy and timing just hasn’t been there. He doesn’t know how to give up on a play. Too often he backed up for what seemed like miles, risking a huge loss of yards. He had two really awesome plays. First he had a play where he ran for a first down, when he had nothing else. He made a good decision based on how the play panned out. That’s his strength, so he may as well work with it. The second great play was his touchdown pass to Chris Moore. The Ravens basically gave him a bootleg play with a few options to one side of the field. He made the right choice and he delivered a good move. That shows you the key to bringing out the best in Jackson. When he’s on the move, he’s just playing football. When he’s in the pocket he’s just not comfortable and you can see the gears turning. The key is to allow Jackson to make plays outside of the pocket as his pocket presence gradually improves. Jackson’s three preseason games have looked essentially the same. There have been flashes of brilliance mixed into a frustrating set of plays. Jackson will be fine moving forward but he is a serious work in progress.
Jackson has some work to do. The amount of polishing he needs as a quarterback in the NFL basically puts the “Quarterback controversy” to bed. Joe Flacco looks sharp and ready to roll. The Ravens 2018 starter under center was never really an area of doubt. Jackson has had a few really beautiful plays in each of his preseason showings. That is huge. That means there is greatness in Jackson to build up. He was drafted to be the future.
dark. Next. Ravens preseason: 5 things we've learned so far
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