Ravens Lamar Jackson to Run Less ‘Does Baltimore a Disservice!' - NFL Analyst
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is excited about Todd Monken's "new" offense. After being a predominantly run-first offense under former coordinator Greg Roman, times are changing in Baltimore.
With the additions of Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers on offense, coupled with Monken's more pass-centric offense, many feel the Ravens will run the ball less … including fewer runs from Jackson.
And while Lamar himself is endorsing the idea, former NFL linebacker K.J. Wright feels that would be the worst thing for Lamar to do.
“Lamar Jackson will be doing defenses a favor and the Baltimore Ravens a disservice if he has this I’m going to run less mentality,” Wright said on Good Morning Football. “He is probably the most dynamic football player, speed and quickness wise that I have ever faced in my NFL career."
In his five seasons in the NFL, Jackson has never had under 695 rushing yards in a season.
For the most part, Jackson's legs are his biggest weapon despite his improvement as a passer in recent years. Teams can gameplan for Lamar's throwing, but his ability to scramble when a play breaks down makes his nearly impossible to stop.
Wright highlights that it's Jackson's running ability that has gotten him to where he is today.
“This man is phenomenal, he’s quick, and when you take off running against defenses, this just scares the life out of guys,” he said. “When he gets in the open field, no one guy can bring down Lamar Jackson. He became the highest-paid player in NFL history, he became an NFL MVP by using his legs.
“Lamar, go down when traffic comes, (but) use your legs because defenses can’t stand it.”
Perhaps Jackson's recent injuries are to blame for the shift in mentality regarding running the ball. Or it could be that with two new weapons, Lamar won't need to take off and run as much as possible.
Both are valid points, but Jackson can't put away his biggest weapon. He has to use his legs, but as Wright stated ... he just has to do it wisely.
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