Lamar Jackson: 3 things that will help him shine in 2019
2. Familiar targets figure to play a big role next season
Jackson getting into the action in 2018 was a great thing because he built chemistry with some key pieces of the future. He developed a really nice chemistry with Mark Andrews and Hayden Hurst, both who had nice flashes as rookie tight ends. Jackson found one wide receiver he can count on in Willie Snead. Jackson had 99 completed passes in the regular season. 17 of Willie Snead’s receptions came after Jackson was inserted into the starting offense. That’s roughly 17 percent of Jackson’s completions. If you look up the stats starting with Jackson’s first start, the core receiving group was Snead, Andrews and Hurst in that order. In fact these three receivers accounted for almost 40 percent of Jackson’s completed passes.
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This is good news because these are three players who should be returning to the offense. The Ravens may not bring back Michael Crabtree and after his case of the drops this season, that could be a good call. John Brown signed a one year deal and his future is to be determined. It looks like the offense could change a good bit this offseason but Jackson’s favorite receiving targets remain. Having two tight ends who can both block and catch is a good thing to have in a run based offense.
Jackson already has relationships built with many of the players that will be on the field with him next year. That’s a big thing. Chemistry is one of the underrated parts of the game. A great example of this is the Ravens two Super Bowl runs. They’ve had other great teams, but the 2000 Ravens and the 2012 Ravens had just the right stuff to get the job done. Jackson has already made an impression on his teammates and it’s been a positive one.