Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson can handle the pressure in 2023

Lamar Jackson is back to his MVP performance level of play, and this Baltimore Ravens team feels more likely to win the Super Bowl than that elite 2019 team. One of the big reasons the Ravens have had a resurgence is the play of Lamar Jackson. He is at his best right now.

Lamar Jackson is the best quarterback in the NFL under pressure

One big area where he is performing better than ever is under pressure. Jackson is far and away the best quarterback under pressure in the NFL this season. According to PFF, his grade under pressure is 81.3, with Dak Prescott being second-highest at 76.2. This comes from a big-time throw rate of 9.9% and a turnover-worthy throw rate of 2.2%. That is the best BTT and the fifth-best TWT rate in the NFL. Considering Tommy Devito and Kenny Pickett are two players who throw fewer turnover-worthy passers, and both are about ⅕ of the number of big-time throws, you can live with that.

Jackson is not only better than the league; he is better than the best version of himself. He entered the year with a 26-13 TD to INT-ratio, which is seven to one this season. Last year, he had a 5.4% big-time throw rate and a 2.9% turnover-worthy throw rate. His overall grade was 51.9. 

Even in his career-year, in 2019, he had a 10 to two touchdown to interception ratio. His big-time throw was 8.2%, and his turnover-worthy throw rate was 1.7%. His PFF grade was 72.5. 

So, Jackson protected the ball slightly more under pressure last year, but he has is hitting the explosive passes more when he is under pressure this year. Either way, this is the best version of Jackson we have seen since he won the MVP. Will we see better outcomes in the playoffs this time?