Baltimore Ravens: Blueprint for offensive success in 2019
Scheme around Lamar Jackson’s skill-set:
Anybody who knows anything about Lamar Jackson will be able to tell you that he’s not like most NFL quarterbacks. Between his reliance on his legs and athleticism and inconsistency as a thrower, Jackson is far from a cookie-cutter mold of professional quarterbacking play. However, this by no means he can’t be successful at the NFL level. On the contrary, he can take over the entire league with one of the most unique skill-sets the NFL has ever seen.
Most of Jackson’s flaws are coachable. Jackson’s inaccuracy is fixable with improving footwork and throwing motion, and he already possesses the arm-strength to get the ball down the field with ease. Everyone’s biggest concern is his running ability and his “willingness” to take hits. Obviously, this is a mindset that will take time to adjust, but again, it’s fixable.
Related Story. Lamar Jackson: What a successful 2019 could look like. light
The most troubling aspect of improving Jackson’s weaknesses will be his tendency to turn the ball over, primarily by fumbling the ball. Jackson fumbled the ball 12 times in 2018, despite starting just seven games. This is an issue that simply won’t stand, however it is an issue that can be solved through an improved rhythm and a more conservative approach.
No one is asking Jackson to change the way he plays the game, and quite frankly they shouldn’t. What makes Jackson so incredible is the way that he takes the field and beats defenses with his athleticism. He didn’t earn the nickname “Action Jackson” because of his boring play. Instead, the Ravens must find a way to scheme their offense to play to Jackson’s strengths.
What does this mean exactly? It means get Jackson out of the pocket and allow him manipulate defenses with his legs. Set up the offense to where Jackson has more freedom to move around, whether it’s through Run/Pass Options (RPOs), Read-Option plays, or more spread looks. More than anything, the Ravens simply need to make Jackson comfortable and allow him to work on his shortcomings by himself.
Pressure can break a quarterback’s confidence, so it’s important that the team makes it to where Jackson is complacent as possible.