Lamar Jackson on Odell Beckham Jr praise, Super Bowl vow and NFL warning
Lamar Jackson believes his Baltimore Ravens are only scratching the surface of their offensive potential as the franchise chases a first trip to the Super Bowl since Ray Lewis hoisted the Lombardi Trophy 10 years ago.
Selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Jackson promised he would deliver the Ravens a championship. As the quarterback continues to thrive under offensive coordinator Todd Monken, words could soon become reality.
Jackson has been excellent this season; the dynamic quarterback has led the Ravens to a 4-2 record, completing 70 percent of his passes for 1,253 yards and five touchdowns. Plenty of attention this offseason focused on how the Ravens offense would look in 2023.
Monken was brought in to showcase Jackson’s arm talent, with too many fans overlooking his aerial threat in favour of his masterful ability to extend and make plays with his legs. It’s an easy mistake to make given Jackson’s deific rushing ingenuity, which he showcased in London with 62 yards.
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But it was his 223 yards and a score through the air that did the damage on Sunday. Despite red zone struggles against the Tennessee Titans, he feels at home in the Ravens’ revamped offensive system and looks forward to spreading the ball around as the season unfolds.
“I feel great,” Jackson exclusively told Mirror Sport. “I don’t pay attention to stats and stuff like that, so anything to put us into a winning position is what I’m trying to do at the end of the day. But I feel like there’s still room for improvement for us. I believe our offense is balling but we’re not hitting the ceiling in terms of what we want.
“We’ve been driving the ball downfield very smooth, but then when we get in the red zone, we’re not punching it in - and that’s what we want to do. Probably the biggest emphasis this week is going to be finishing the job in the red zone. Our defence is playing great, special teams is playing great, but on the offensive side, we just need to punch the ball into the end zone.
“Get OBJ involved some more, get Zay [Flowers] the ball, hit Isaiah [Likely]… just getting those guys the ball and allowing them to do what they do.”
Lamar Jackson connected with impressive rookie Zay Flowers for a touchdown in the win over the Tennessee Titans (AP)Plenty of attention surrounded the Ravens’ free agent signing of Odell Beckham Jr. The charismatic receiver is one of the NFL’s biggest stars, but his excellence has been hindered in recent years by a series of devastating injuries. Regardless, Beckham shrugged off an ankle knock to play a key role in London; in the second quarter, with the Ravens offense needing a boost, the 30-year-old delivered.
Beckham hauled in a stunning grab before juking and weaving through tackles for a 32-yard gain. The play served as a source of inspiration, reinvigorating the offense to take a lead the Ravens would not relinquish.
When asked about Beckham’s energising play, Jackson smiled. It’s clear the mere presence of the supremely talented receiver allows the Ravens to dream the biggest dream: winning a Super Bowl. Jackson - whose composure belies his years - knows Beckham is an invaluable piece going forwards.
“His performance was very important,” a beaming Jackson declared. “He’s a vet on this team, but at the same time he’s still got that juice in him. He’s still the OBJ we all know.
“Hopefully we get him dancing with more touchdowns, because as the season goes on we’re going to want to get him involved and playing at his best. He’s key; the more involved he is, the more on track our offense will be.”
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The offense was on track throughout the four quarters contested in north London. It needed to be, as Tennessee provided a difficult, hard-hitting test. Despite a heated rivalry after their recent postseason clashes, Jackson heaped praise on the AFC South franchise: “I believe every team in the league has a great defense, so we needed to take what they give us.
“Tennessee is very physical. They’re a great defense. In this league, you try to give your guys the best opportunity to make something happen and we did that today.”
Truth be told, the Ravens are probably frustrated they are not undefeated. Baltimore’s two losses came amid winnable situations, self-destructing as they fell to Gardner Minshew’s Indianapolis Colts and Kenny Pickett’s misfiring Pittsburgh Steelers.
Last week’s loss to the Steelers stung in particular. That much was clear in the locker room at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday; Jackson’s screwed expression at the very mention of the result reflected an all too fresh wound. But it’s a wound that healed quickly, according to the 2019 NFL MVP.
“We don’t dwell on bad games,” Jackson insisted. “Maybe we felt down on Sunday and Monday, but we had to look forward to the new week - and that was pretty much what we did.
Lamar Jackson's Baltimore Ravens leave London atop the competitive AFC North (AP)“Obviously, you don’t like the feeling of not winning against a rival opponent. We almost won that game and things didn’t play out as we wanted so it was very frustrating for us, but at the same time, it’s early in the season. We’re not in the playoffs. The Super Bowl isn’t won in October.
“We just had to stay locked in and keep our poise, and try to do what we could to get a victory the following week.”
The locked-in, poised Ravens did just that in London. The trip back to Baltimore will upbeat with the team in a celebratory mood, but Jackson and co. will be desperate to ensure the offense is at its most clinical when they face another physical defense in a huge clash next week.
After all, attack can be the best form of defense. Especially against a hungry and in-form pride of Lions.
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