Lamar Jackson has the poise of a franchise quarterback
Lamar Jackson has the pose needed from a franchise quarterback:
Lamar Jackson had a rough entrance into playoff football. It was easily his worst game and it is easy to get sidetracked from all the positive things he put on display as a rookie. When the Ravens were down and a large portion of the fanbase was desperate to put Joe Flacco into the game, Jackson put together some throws that gave the Ravens a last desperation shot. That takes poise.
He finished that Chargers game 14-29 for 194 yards with two touchdowns and a pick. Two drives in the fourth quarter made the final score look better than it was and salvaged Jackson from an even worse stat line. Things broke down and Jackson had to make something happen. He went from not being able to do anything to having two scoring drives in the fourth quarter.
Jackson showed poise. He could have easily said that this wasn’t his day and put his eyes on next season. Honestly, answer this question: How would you have handled this? You would be in your first ever playoff game. Your home crowd would be split on whether you should even be in the game because that’s how badly it has gone. Would you keep swinging, or would you get down on yourself and spiral into frustration?
Jackson came alive when he was facing this situation. He made plays that gave the Ravens a chance. The offense did nothing for three plus quarters of the game. Jackson had a horrible performance to that point and even his most avid supporters would agree with that. Yet he let it rip and it almost worked out in the end.
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Here is what we know about Lamar Jackson as a starting quarterback. First of all, he is 6-1 in the regular season as a starting quarterback. Secondly, he was thrown into the starting job before anybody thought he was ready. He wasn’t expecting to be the starting quarterback as soon as he was but he wasn’t fazed. He was excited for the opportunity, he wanted the ball in his hands.
When the Ravens drafted Lamar Jackson he quickly promised that the Ravens would get a Super Bowl out of him. Jackson’s rookie season showed that there was a lot of things for him to work on. One thing that is obvious is that he is putting in the work this offseason. He’s not just resting on the fact that he is the number one quarterback of the Ravens. He’s had a quarterback coach helping him this offseason and he’s trying to make his chance with the Ravens count.
Jackson had some big moments as a rookie quarterback. People forget that if the Ravens finished anything less than their 10-6 record, the Pittsburgh Steelers would have been the division champions. One more misstep and the Ravens would have missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season.
Jackson had his first start against the Cincinnati Bengals. It was a divisional opponent who wasn’t great but who always have given the Ravens trouble. Jackson ran the ball 27 times in the game. It probably was too many rushing attempts for a quarterback though Jackson did what he had to. He wasn’t ready from a passing standpoint, but as a play-making athlete he was more than ready to make an impact.
Jackson had to play the Los Angeles Chargers in Los Angeles. The way the season shaped up, this was one of the toughest must win games the Ravens have ever had. The defense shut down the Chargers but Jackson put the Ravens over the top. He found Mark Andrews for a long touchdown pass that gave the Ravens the final lead change of the game.
The season finale against the Browns was an example of poise. Jackson had 179 yards passing in the game but he had 90 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Jackson had a fumble on the goal line that was rather costly to the Ravens. It didn’t stop him, slow him down or get in his head. Jackson was playing in a win and you’re in the playoffs game. This was the biggest moment of his season and he did what the Ravens needed to get the win.
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Jackson has to prove that he has the arm talent to be a special quarterback in the NFL. He has to prove that his playing style is sustainable in the NFL. He has a lot on his shoulders and a lot to prove. The one thing that is certain is that Jackson is a poised quarterback who has a chance to be a terrific leader in the National Football League.