After signing a five-year, $260 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens, Lamar Jackson prepares to have a season that will prove him as one of the best young quarterbacks in the league. As suggested by All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews, the Ravens are focusing on making the former MVP throw the ball at a higher rate than he did in the past.
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Along with surrounding their quarterback with talented players, the team from Baltimore also hired a new offensive coordinator, Todd Monken. As it turns out, Todd’s hiring has really impacted the team’s offense in a positive manner. This was also highlighted by Andrews during a recent press interaction.
Mark Andrews compliments Lamar Jackson on his progress
Andrews recently discussed his quarterback Lamar Jackson’s throwing ability and was positive about what he saw. As reported by Baltimoreravens.com, he said:
“Just coming back here today and seeing him throw, seeing the way he’s seeing the game, his balls are incredible, [and] he’s putting the balls on the money. So, he looks incredible. And yes, I think him throwing the ball [more] is a good thing.”
Even though Jackson’s throwing ability has gotten better, it was questioned since the time he appeared for his NFL Combine out of Louisville. The Ravens, however, built a team around his ability which helped him set new NFL records for rushing yards at the QB position.
As his career has progressed, Jackson has shown a growing tendency to throw a higher percentage of passes, averaging around 30 pass attempts per game in the past two healthy seasons. Throughout much of his career, he has faced the challenge of not having top-tier wide receiver options or a consistent possession receiver, apart from Andrews at tight end. However, the team has made significant additions to the wide receiver position during this offseason which might solve the problem.
Jackson ranked no. 4 on the list of most explosive runners
Nick Shook of the NFL.com recently let out a list of some of 2022’s most explosive runners, who might deliver astounding performances in the coming season as well. According to Shook, anyone who thinks that the Ravens QB’s new season will be marred by yet another injury is surely mistaken.
Jackson secured his place on this list with 112 rushing attempts last year, capitalizing on the advantage of his unpredictable style as a mobile quarterback. Surprisingly, he didn’t reach top speeds compared to the leaders in this category. Nevertheless, the star QB demonstrated his knack for picking up significant yardage, breaking the 10-yard mark on 27.7 percent of his attempts last season.
Additionally, his ability to reach speeds of 15-plus MPH on nearly 37 percent of his plays contributed significantly to his explosive score, reaffirming his reputation as a big-play threat on every down. It will be interesting to see how he performs in the coming season.
