Lamar Jackson, a quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens, threw an expensive interception in the fourth quarter of their 24-20 defeat to the New York Giants on Sunday.
Jackson scooped up an inaccurate shotgun snap and sped to his right to evade pressure with three minutes left and the Ravens leading by three points.
The Ravens Would Have Punted If Given the Chance
On third down, Baltimore would have punted the ball away, forcing New York to travel the length of the field if he had thrown the ball away.
Instead, the Giants scored the game-winning touchdown after intercepting Jackson’s off-balance, jump ball throw to 300-pound fullback Patrick Ricard.
“Coach John Harbaugh of the Ravens noted on Monday that Lamar comes out of that situation “many times” and goes on to make a play. “Because of our one-of-a-kind quarterback, I have to strike a balance there.
There is no question in my mind that he will ask for that one back. Jackson’s QBR (72) through the first three-quarters of the season ranks fourth in the league. Jackson has a QBR of.288 in the fourth quarter, which is 29th in the league.
Nonetheless, Jackson has had to contend with an injury-plagued supporting cast. Even though Rashad Bateman, J.K. Dobbins, and Ronnie Stanley are all starters, he has not started all three players in a game yet this season.
To the question of whether Jackson is taking on too much, Harbaugh responded: “It might be described in that manner, and that scenario (the interception) may be a good analogy. About 20 players in the locker room greeted Jackson after the game.
Guard Kevin Zeitler of the Ravens said, “It was like, ‘Look, we know everything is going to be OK. The Ravens are realistic about their potential as an NFL powerhouse.
The Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens are the only teams to have had double-digit leads through the first six games of the season.
The Eagles Are the Only Unbeaten Team
The Eagles are the only unbeaten club in the league at 6-0, while the Ravens are mired at 3-3 due to their failure to close off games. Twelve of Jackson’s thirteen touchdown throws have come in the opening three quarters.
However, Jackson has only picked off the ball twice in the first half. Kenyan Drake, a running back with the Ravens, claimed that the club will rely on Jackson “in every area” he brings.
“There will be a lot of pressure on him but remember that we’re a team. Neither he nor I am capable of doing the task alone. If we want to win, we need to focus on Cleveland as our next opponent and make sure that Jackson boards the bus.
With so many problems to solve, it is no surprise that the Ravens have blown three double-digit leads in the first six games of the season.
Untimely penalties have been called (an unlawful formation on third-and-1 in the fourth quarter), coverages have been broken, and offensive play calling has been questioned (Kenyan Drake only ran the ball 10 times despite averaging 11.9 yards per carrying).
When Jackson is performing at his best, though, he can make up for a lot of missteps. When he is off his game, the Ravens have a tough time coming back. When Jackson’s QBR is over 70, Baltimore is 22-1.
When his QBR is below 70, the Ravens go 18-14. Lamar is the one. Zeitler said that the blame “isn’t only on him, it’s on a lot of us.” “It’s impossible for him to experience extreme emotions. There is no doubt in my mind that he has next week in mind.
Finishing Line
Jackson has to go back to being himself on the field. The clumsy interception he threw on Sunday was his second of the season thrown from outside the pocket; in his first four years as a starter, he was intercepted just once from outside the pocket.
As the game entered its final two minutes, it was the first time he had fumbled with Baltimore behind. “The reason we win so many games are because of him, so you can’t blame him,” Ricard remarked. “There is no way to exert any more pressure on him.”
