Packers Counting on ‘Kurt Jackson’ To Prep for Ravens

How on earth do you prepare for the most unique quarterback in the NFL? That was the Packers' dilemma for this week's matchup against Lamar Jackson.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – If Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is able to play on Sunday – he didn’t practice all week and is questionable – the Green Bay Packers will be as ready as possible.

To be sure, there’s no way to truly prepare for the 2019 NFL MVP. He is a singular talent at the position. It’s impossible to simulate what Green Bay’s defense could face on Sunday if Jackson has recovered from the sprained ankle sustained last week vs. Cleveland.

The Packers have players who can throw the football. And they have players who can run the football. But they don’t have anyone with Jackson’s combination of passing and running ability because Jackson is a one-of-a-kind player.

“There’s some mechanisms for that,” coach Matt LaFleur said of repping Jackson’s running ability, “whether you put a receiver or a running back in there at quarterback to just try and simulate his explosiveness, because he’s one of the most explosive players in the National Football League, regardless of position. There’s not too many guys that can just stick their foot in the ground at any moment can take it the distance. And he’s proven that time and time again, so, as far as simulating that, it’s very, very difficult.”

With Jordan Love running the offense this week as Aaron Rodgers rested and rehabbed his broken toe, Kurt Benkert ran the scout-team offense again.

“Kurt Jackson, yeah. Kurt Jackson,” quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy said. “I don’t know if anybody can do that [simulate Jackson]. But he’s doing a great job. He’s done a great job all year long, honestly. He works his butt off, and he works hard to do what those guys ask him to do.”

As a passer, Jackson – Lamar Jackson, not Kurt Jackson – is not a great quarterback. But as a total package, he is an elite player capable of carrying the offense for long stretches.

Entering Week 15, Jackson is 22nd in the league in passer rating and 23rd in completion percentage. His 16 touchdowns vs. 13 interceptions is one of the worst ratios in the NFL. But what makes Jackson elite is his ability to throw and run, and the stress that presents to pass rushers and defensive backs.

Jackson is 10th in the NFL with 767 rushing yards and second with a 5.8-yard average. Remarkably, he is 24th in rushes but fifth in 10-yard rushes. In fact, he’s almost got as many 10-yard runs (24) as the Packers (28).

Throw in his throwing ability, and Jackson is averaging 289 yards per game. That ranks seventh in the NFL.

“I don’t think there’s ever been as good of a runner than him in the open field, especially at quarterback,” Packers safety and Baltimore native Adrian Amos said. “He’s just special. There’s certain runners that can make every cut and then accelerate. He gets in and out of his breaks quick, and then he does have that top-end speed, too. He’s dynamic.”

Obviously, the state of Jackson’s ankle will determine whether he plays or how effective he is if he plays. But a 70 percent Jackson would still be a threat. And Jackson’s backup, Tyler Huntley, is no slouch. He ran seven times for 40 yards when he started at Chicago and six times for 45 yards in relief of Jackson last week.

“Benkert’s done a great job,” defensive coordinator Joe Barry said this week. “Now, I know, Lamar is super-human. But our quarterbacks all year have done a great job. Whether it’s Benkert, whether it’s Love, they’ve done a great job all year long as best as they can trying to simulate whoever we’re playing against. Whether it’s No. 8 (Jackson) or No. 2 (Huntley) – Lamar is so unique and so special, but they are not going to change their offense is Lamar doesn’t play. It’s going to be the same style of offense, the same system. So, they’re going to stick with what they do and we’re going to have to defend it.”