What To Expect From Lamar Jackson's Legs And Arm In Week 4 vs Titans

A week ago we told you to expect for 75 yards rushing, a rushing TD and two passing TDs from Lamar Jackson in a game the Ravens would win and it would require scoring more than 30 points to do with, with the MVP stealing the show.

We were more than right than wrong.

And our projections for Jackson have been more right than wrong all season. This week, the challenge is even tricker with him handed his least tenable offensive line of all, and that’s saying something because the first three weeks were largely incompetent (because they miss evaluate the position and fail to invest properly in the position group). The under center stuff might not be where it’s at, running or throwing, though they will need to run Derrick Henry a bunch even if the efficiency isn’t great.

Avoiding defensive tackle Jeffery Summons and making it as difficult as possible for him to wreck the game is paramount. That will involve moving the launch spot quite a bit, more designed boots and probably more shotgun runs behind the tackles for Lamar and Zay Flowers and Justice Hill. Vega Ioane at center and Andrew Vorhees at guard, with struggling John Simpson opposite them, might be a serious issue.

We know Jackson is willing to say whatever needs to be said and do whatever needs to to be done to try to win a game, and with a rookie guard now playing center and both guards a potential problem, this must be a Sunday with low passing volume, and emphasis on a few explosives and controlling the clock on the ground.

With His Legs

Jackson has faced Titans coach/defensive play caller Robert Saleh twice and his legs have been the star. Filtering out kneel downs, its 20 runs for 120 yards in two meetings (Saleh running the 49ers defense in 2021 and coaching the Jets in 2022.

Oh, and his defenses bottled up Baltimore’s run game with the running backs with ease in those games (34 rushes for 123 yards at 3.62/carry) and Saleh’s defense this season is allowing just 3.6/carry and is especially stout up the middle. Part of why Jackson ran so much in those games at peak Lamar, was because he had to.

I suspect this is his highest rushing total of the season, both in attempts and yardage. The boundary is his friend, perimeter attacks where he can get out of bounds. The Ravens have lost four straight at home, they need some momentum and Saleh is going to make is tough on them. Is this the week he gets 70+ rushing yards? I believe he and Flowers will each have an outside run over 25 yards, and Jackson clearly is getting a kick out of the chatter about him not breaking off 20 yard runs like he used to.

“Just going off what the defense presents to me and just trying to have a successful play,” Jackson said of using his legs this week. “Not trying to have any negative yards, any mishaps. Just trying to move the ball in a positive manner.

“But, I did hear you say I had 20 yards on that first run, and then I remember in camp you guys asked me a question about me running 20 yards. We made it happen. That was last year? OK, well, we made it happen … We got the 20 yards. But, I remember that."

Bet he gets it again.

Through The Air

If Jackson drops back more than 24 times, this could be a long and painful afternoon. He’s getting pressured nearly 45% of the time when he goes and this line is going to be problematic. Even left tackle Ronnie Stanley, the stalwart, has to see if he can get through the game with a painful toe injury.

Any sort of twists and stunts up front have given this offense fits. It’s rough.

So I’m not getting caught up in yards this week. Can the Ravens execute in the redzone with no negative plays (including penalties, which are bogging them down in a big way)? Can he throw for two touchdown passes given some of the short-yardage and goal-to-go issues? I believe he will.

And if he throws the ball, say 25 times, even against a quality defensive play caller, can 8-10 of them generate 10 yards or more and 3-5 generate 20 or more? I expect Devontez Walker to have an explosive catch of 40+ yards this week given what Zay Flowers is putting on film and how much attention he is going to draw. And the Ravens use YAC to produce the other big plays through the air given the limitations of the line.

Would not be surprised at all if Derrick Henry’s longest play was a reception rather than a run, he is second on the team with 57 yards after the catch and they need to get him in space and not just slam him into Simmons (though they need to do that too).

Subscribe To "The Daily Flock" For Urgent Ravens Conversations And Content:

Add us as a preferred source on Google