How the 49ers Can Exploit Lamar Jackson's Indecisiveness

When asked what he admires about Lamar Jackson, one of the first things Kyle Shanahan mentioned was his field vision. It's possible Shanahan was patronizing the Ravens quarterback.

Jackson certainly has good field vision when he escapes the pocket. He can find creases in the defense and run for big gains, first downs and touchdowns. He also has a good feel for where his receivers are going to be once he's scrambling outside the pocket, which means he's not just a threat to run when he's ad-libbing. He's a threat to throw as well. He's one of the best ad-libbers in the league. The play is never dead when he has the ball in his hands.

But when Jackson is standing in the pocket, either he doesn't consistently see his open receivers, or he chooses not to throw to them. Perhaps he feels they aren't open enough. Or perhaps he feels that he should hold onto the ball and hunt for a big play rather than throw the 12-yard out in rhythm and on time.

When you watch the All-22 film of Jackson and the Ravens offense, you routinely see him not throw to open receivers. But you also see him find ways to make huge plays after neglecting those open receivers earlier in the play.

The key to defending Jackson is to keep him in the pocket, because that's where he hesitates before pulling the trigger. If the 49ers can keep him in the pocket, they should win.

Easier said than done, though.