Lamar Jackson is very likely to get his third career start against the Atlanta Falcons, according to reports:
According to reports, Lamar Jackson is in line to get his third start when the Baltimore Ravens travel to Atlanta to play the Falcons. As it has been told by multiple sports reporters including ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jamison Hensley and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Joe Flacco hasn’t been medically cleared to play.
There are a few important things to break down here. The first thing is that Flacco hasn’t been cleared, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be cleared in time to play. That’s still something that is very up in the air. Even if Flacco is cleared to return to the practice field, Lamar Jackson has been the quarterback on the field for the last two weeks. The Ravens have to build a game plan around Jackson, because he is the most likely starter.
This news delays the major decision that John Harbaugh has to make. If Flacco isn’t an option as the week 13 contest, Jackson gets the start by default. Jackson is still under center with a chance to take the decision out of Harbaugh’s hands.
If Jackson delivers a third straight win to the Baltimore Ravens, how could Harbaugh make a change? The crux of the argument for Joe Flacco getting his job back is that the Ravens have a better chance at victory with an established field general. A 3-0 record for Jackson would make that argument a tough one to make.
The #Ravens plan to start Lamar Jackson against the #Falcons this Sunday, sources say. Joe Flacco (hip) has not been cleared as of now. There’s a chance that could change in the coming days but right now, Jackson remains the starter.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 27, 2018
Should Jackson get the start, he has a chance to play into the hands of Flacco. While Jackson has made mistakes, he hasn’t given the Ravens a reason to be anything but optimistic. Jackson has had bad plays but he hasn’t had a poor performance yet. The NFL is a fickle league and Jackson has to keep producing positive results to keep Flacco on the bench for the rest of the season.
Jackson has done some very good things. Helping the Ravens get two wins, he has been a dual threat quarterback that has sparked the Ravens running game. The Ravens have rushed for over 500 yards since Jackson has been the starting quarterback, and Gus Edwards has emerged as a breakout performer.
It’s hard to think of a more interesting thing that has happened in the Harbaugh era. Harbaugh and Flacco have always been tied at the hip as the two constants since 2008. Now a new quarterback is making waves and it is the most interesting quarterback situation in the NFL. We’ll keep you in the loop, but this is going to be something to watch all the way until kickoff in Atlanta.