Analysis
10/22/23
6 min read
Ravens' Offense Comes Together to Launch Lamar Jackson's MVP Push
The Lamar Jackson MVP game has been brewing all season long.
For the first six weeks, Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens offense couldn't get out of their own way. Whether it was Jackson's bizarre fumbles, team-wide red zone struggles, or a nasty case of the dropsies, the Ravens just couldn't stop shooting themselves in the foot. It was always something. A comedy of errors week after week.
Jackson wasn’t able to put up the numbers his quality of play deserved, but it felt like things had to break their way at some point.
All of that nonsense went away against the Detroit Lions. Instead of finding ways for every little thing to go wrong, the Ravens offense decided to be normal. What a concept! Receivers caught passes that hit them in the hands and Jackson only had one stupid fumble, which is progress. All the karmic imbalance Jackson endured from the first six games swung back the other way all at once.
The Ravens channeled that energy to beat the Lions, 38-6, Baltimore's most decisive win of the season.
Lamar Jackson Finds New Level
Jackson's continued growth as a passer is the story of the season for the Ravens. He's taken his game to a new level (again).
Insane as it sounds, Jackson is throwing the ball better than he did when he won a unanimous MVP back in 2019. The ball is coming out on time more consistently, the accuracy is improved, and there aren’t as many of the silly interceptions that plagued him at times in the past. Jackson has gone from a good and underappreciated thrower to a full-blown savant in the pocket.
The way Jackson manages muddy pockets is where you see his growth on full display and Sunday's game was a clear example of that. Jackson was pressured on 34.4 percent of his dropbacks, according to TruMedia, but didn't take a sack and only took off to scramble when it was absolutely necessary.
Jackson was cool as ice the entire game. He kept his eyes down the field no matter what was happening around him. Even when Jackson was forced off his spot, he immediately slowed himself down and got his eyes down the field again. Jackson made a handful of his best throws using that formula, including Baltimore's second touchdown on a throw to Nelson Agholor in the back of the end zone.
Lamar Jackson's time to throw of 9.24 seconds on his 12-yd TD to Nelson Agholor is the longest on a touchdown pass since Week 14, 2018, and the 3rd-longest in the NGS era (since 2016).#DETvsBAL | #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/7rjx6NdiSd
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 22, 2023
That's been on Jackson's film all season long, too. Jackson has performed like a top-three quarterback by the eye test. The numbers wouldn't tell you that no matter how hard you search, but on film, Jackson's command in the pocket and accuracy to every level of the field has been as good as anyone’s. He's no longer a runner first and a passer second — Jackson is a real-deal pocket genius who also happens to run like Michael Vick.
The real difference on Sunday was what happened around Jackson. For the first time all season, the changes at offensive coordinator and the additions at wide receiver finally paid off in full. Jackson put up the video game MVP numbers he deserves.
Monken Gets Offense in Sync
New OC Todd Monken found his groove and kicked Jackson's game into overdrive. He finally found the easy buttons. As it turns out, injecting some cheap yardage into the offense in between Jackson's supernova moments is the perfect recipe for a 38-point explosion.
Monken crafted his game plan around two core ideas: stretch the Lions' defense to the sideline and test their discipline. The Ravens spammed perimeter runs, RPOs, screens, misdirection and play-action.
They didn't waste any time getting into it either. On the second play of the game, the Ravens ran a zone-read RPO where Jackson pulled the ball as a runner before finding Odell Beckham Jr. on a slant route for 11 yards. The Ravens finished off that drive with an under-center keeper for Jackson off of a fake power run to Gus Edwards that sucked the entire Lions' defense in.
Baltimore Ravens getting in on the “Spinner” Trend pic.twitter.com/GdmBw4fCdd
— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) October 22, 2023
Two drives later, Monken stole a page from Mike McDaniel's book and ran a single-wing "spinner" play to Keaton Mitchell. The unblocked end wasn't quick enough to jump on Mitchell and let him cut up the field for an easy nine yards. Jackson then found Mark Andrews on a boot-action slide route two plays later for a touchdown, again attacking the Lions outside the numbers and testing their eyes.
GUSTOOOOOOO
Tune in on FOX! pic.twitter.com/nxiWubFsBE
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 22, 2023
The drive after that, the Ravens called a fake quarterback sweep into the boundary that got Andrews free down the sideline to get the Ravens inside the 5. Monken capped off that drive with an unbalanced formation that the Lions didn't get set in time for, letting Edwards waltz in for a free touchdown.
All of those examples were just the Ravens' best plays, never mind all the other little gains they were getting with perimeter runs and quick receiver screens. Monken knew exactly how to test this young defense. He had their heads spinning all day long and they couldn't recover against all the team speed the Ravens offense has. With Jackson playing the way he's playing, that's how an offense goes out and scores five touchdowns on its first six possessions.
Jackson Displays His Passing Chops
This is what was promised when the Ravens hired Monken to retool the passing game. This is what it was supposed to look like when you gave Jackson real passing concepts instead of spamming quick game concepts with three tight ends on the field. Jackson has long been capable of being a game-changing passer; he just needed the right tools and play-calling to show it off.
It's safe to say the Ravens aren't going to put up 38 points in three quarters every week from here on out, but this is a moment to build on. There's no more dealing in uncertainty about when or how the offense is going to figure itself out. There's proof of concept now. Jackson is playing at an exceptionally high level and Monken has finally proven he can press all the right buttons to maximize that.
Health permitting, we're going to remember this game as the moment Jackson thrust himself into the MVP conversation and the moment the Ravens officially became AFC title contenders.
Derrik Klassen is an NFL and NFL Draft film analyst with a particular interest in quarterbacks. Klassen’s work is also featured on Bleacher Report and Reception Perception. You can follow him on Twitter (X) at @QBKlass.
