Lamar Jackson is the reason the New England Patriots will get their first loss of the season in Baltimore:
Lamar Jackson has some extra time to get ready for the New England Patriots. The Baltimore Ravens had a bye week and then a battle with the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football. The game against the Patriots is a huge test for the purple and black and Jackson is going to be the reason the Ravens walk away victoriously.
Something everybody brings up about the Patriots is that they try to take away their opponent’s best player. If the Patriots were playing the Carolina Panthers they would hone in on Christian McCaffrey. If the Patriots were playing the Houston Texans they would try to take DeAndre Hopkins out of the game. The game plan against the Ravens will be a little more challenging for Bill Belichick’s team. The Ravens’ best player touches the ball on every single play.
The Ravens don’t have many elite play-makers on offense other than Lamar Jackson. Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards are nice pieces of the offense. Mark Andrews is a great tight end and Marquise Brown is very dynamic. The truth is that Jackson does a lot of the work on his own. It all boils down to what Jackson does. That makes Baltimore the hardest team in the NFL to prepare for.
The New England defense hasn’t been tested much this season. They opened the season against a Pittsburgh Steelers team that just wasn’t in sync to start the season. They then beat up on AFC East opponents like they always have. The New York Jets are terrible and the Miami Dolphins are the worst team in football. The Buffalo Bills are tough, yet it remains to be seen how good they really are. The Patriots got three easy wins in the division and then crushed the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Browns.
The Patriots are defending Super Bowl champions and they have been the most impressive team of this generation. With that respect rightfully given to them, let’s not pretend that this version of the Patriots has been tested. The Ravens will be the best team they have seen all year and Lamar Lamar Jackson is the first MVP candidate they will have to deal with. This game is different for the Patriots.
The Patriots have one of the best pass defenses in the league. They will probably make things difficult for Jackson in the passing game. Belichick’s Patriots aren’t going to let Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown beat them. My question is simple. How can the Patriots’ defense handle it when a play breaks down and Jackson does his thing? Can they stop Jackson through the air and on the ground? If the Patriots were able to do that, they would be the first team to accomplish that this season.
Lamar Jackson will be the difference in the game. The Patriots will play sound football and Jackson will be the variable they cannot control. Jackson’s ability to be a dual-threat in this game will open up chances for the Ravens to run the football with Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards. Once Jackson has the New England defense right where he wants them, he’ll have shots available in the passing game. Jackson is either going to weave through this defense or be the first quarterback to carve it up.
Think about the quarterbacks the Patriots have faced. They aren’t going against a player like Sam Darnold, Case Keenum or Daniel Jones. The Patriots have won games that they had no business losing against quarterbacks who had no business outdueling Tom Brady. Jackson is a superstar. He can throw for 250-300 yards or he can run for 150. The overall production of Jackson is key because no other quarterback in football offers that dual-threat game plan.
Lamar Jackson takes what the defense gives him. There is no defense that can account for everything he can bring to the table. Jackson just took over a game in Seattle, where his offensive weapons let him down. Jackson does whatever he has to do. He’s the best play-maker on the entire schedule for the Patriots. The Patriots have a reputation for being overly prepared for each game. It seems doubtful that they have an answer for everything Jackson can throw at them, however. Lamar Jackson is one of a kind and he could be the first big roadblock for the Patriots.