3 reasons why NFL defenses struggle to stop Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens vs Cincinnati Bengals
Baltimore Ravens vs Cincinnati Bengals

After three seasons in the NFL, Lamar Jackson is still one of the most polarizing players.

He's electrifying, having added a completely different dynamic to the Baltimore Ravens' offense. Apart from being the NFL's passing touchdown leader in 2019, Jackson is a fabulous player rushing the ball, with almost 3000 rushing yards in just three seasons.

Incredibly, he still has some people doubting his quality. The 2019 NFL MVP, the only to ever be unanimously voted alongside Tom Brady in 2007, has received some criticism in the past few days regarding his ability to win games passing the ball if opposing defenses find a way to stop him from running the ball.

The quarterback was emphatic in his response on the situation, though.

On that note, here are three reasons why Lamar Jackson is difficult to defend against.


#1 Lamar Jackson is the perfect double threat

The reason why Jackson was voted unanimously as the 2019 MVP is that he proved to be effective in both passing and running the ball. He's the only quarterback ever to lead the league in passing touchdowns, and still runs for more than 1000 yards.

When defending Jackson, you have to account for a lot of possible outcomes for a single play, purely because of his rushing ability. He can throw the ball well from outside the pocket, so a play is never over if you take away his timing.


#2 Lamar Jackson's blistering speed

Wild Card Round - Baltimore Ravens vs Tennessee Titans
Wild Card Round - Baltimore Ravens vs Tennessee Titans

Lamar Jackson is effective in rushing the football because he has got adequate speed to do so. The Ravens quarterback decided not to run the 40-yard dash at the Combine, but he's so fast that advanced metrics project that his speed would be enough to record a 4.3-mark at the Combine drill.

It's really difficult for defensive players to keep up with Jackson's speed during plays, and it gets even more difficult if the play is in the second half of a game, when defenses are more tired and don't often reach their full speed. Jackson's speed and athleticism make it almost impossible to keep up with him on the run.


#3 The Ravens' offense is designed to get the best out of Lamar Jackson

Over the last two years, offensive coordinator Greg Roman schemed a read-option system made to capitalize on Lamar Jackson's strengths. Depending on what the defense does on a given play, Jackson has got more than enough options to do whatever he decides with the ball.

Roman is the former offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers during the Colin Kaepernick era, where he also designed a read-option system to get the best of Kaepernick in the running game. That makes Jackson an effective player and difficult to defend against.

Also Read: What is Lamar Jackson’s Contract Breakdown?

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Edited by Bhargav