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Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are back on track after an 0-2 start.Photograph: David Tulis/UPI/REX/Shutterstock
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Baltimore Ravens
Remember when the Ravens were unexpectedly off-kilter at 0-2? Nope, me neither. The rebound from a protracted pre-season has been emphatic: three one-score wins over Dallas (though more of a blowout as the Cowboys scored 19 in garbage time), Cincinnati and Washington, with a thrashing of the mighty Buffalo Bills mixed in. The source of this ascendancy has been coordinator Todd Monken finessing his mighty offense from last season.
It all starts with quarterback Lamar Jackson who may not be the leader for MVP with oddsmakers, a spot reserved for Patrick Mahomes until the Chiefs lose a game, though at his current level, which was virtually unplayable against the Commanders, he should complete his hat-trick before Kansas City’s QB this year. We know Jackson can do it all: 40 yards on the ground pushed the 27-year-old (what?!) up to second on the list of total rushing yards by a quarterback with Mike Vick’s No 1 spot in sight while he dissected Washington with short and medium passes to burgeoning receiver Zay Flowers. The crucial development this season has been how Jackson’s dual-threat has maximized the output of running back Derrick Henry and Henry’s threat boosting the passing game in play action.
After some tentative early steps, Monken has found his best strategy is to keep it simple and allow opponents to beat themselves. Needing a stop 30-23 down, Washington’s defense was in good position on 2nd and 8 with Baltimore on their 32-yard line and 2min 44sec remaining. Until they weren’t. Jackson tossed to Henry who rumbled for 27 yards and effectively ended the game. The Commanders busted out by betting the house on a Jackson design run as they covered their left-hand side while Henry ran untouched through the right. By blending a regular feed of carries for a runner of Henry’s caliber with touches for…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-trend-watch-jackson-pearsall-090016932.html
Author : The Guardian
Publish date : 2024-10-16 09:00:16
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