Will Lamar Jackson run more for the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL playoffs?
One of the biggest reasons the Baltimore Ravens are in a position to make a run for the Super Bowl is Lamar Jackson. The Ravens have seen Jackson suffer injuries in the past couple of years, and it looks like this year, the team has been trying to take it easier on him.
The Baltimore Ravens should lean on Lamar Jackson in the rushing game for the 2024 playoff run
One way to do that has been eliminating some rushing attempts. Jackson averages 10.2 rushes per game in his career. That is mainly from the earlier days of his career, when he had over ten attempts per game for three straight years, and he had 11.7 attempts per game in his 2019 MVP season.
This year, Jackson is averaging 9.3 attempts per game. This is the same as last year, but a big drop from previous seasons. One of the big differences this year is the number of designed rushes.
Jackson is averaging 5.3 rushes per game this year. That is down from 7.2 the year prior, 6.9 in 2021, and 7.2 in 2020. He has not been used this sparingly on designed rushes in his career. He is still scrambling at similar rates, but they are only relying on his legs in that manner.
That has helped get the Ravens to the one-seed with a healthy Lamar Jackson. However, now, this could be time to unleash his legs even more.
Next. 6 Ravens benefitting most from the bye. 6 Ravens benefitting most from the bye. dark
The Ravens only have three games to worry about health-wise, and Jackson has been saving up for this time, meaning this is the chance to unleash him. The Ravens running backs are one of the biggest questions on the roster heading into the playoffs, so being able to lean on Jackson in this area could make them the unbeatable force.