BALTIMORE — This week, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph stated unequivocally that the team’s first aim will be to keep the Ravens on the ground.
Joseph stated, “So, it’s going to be stop the run first.”
Part of that entails keeping quarterback Lamar Jackson, the current league MVP for Baltimore, in check. Jackson, who has won the NFL’s top individual award twice, is effective because he can make opponents make difficult decisions.
Because of Lamar, I don’t believe anyone in the league runs the ball as well as those guys. It reminds me of Michael Vick from the past.
However, spying on Jackson is not the solution to keeping him in check. He can now thrive as a pocket passer, so no more.
“If the spy isn’t aggressive, I believe he can sit in the pocket with a three-man rush and find open targets,” Joseph remarked. And that’s Lamar’s problem.
Now, I believe the spy was effective when he was a young quarterback because you want a pocket passer. He’s so exact now that it somewhat works against you. Therefore, if you plan to spy on a man like that, it’s gotta be a push-him-off-his-spot spy.”
“… Almost a hunt versus a spy.”
It helps that the Broncos have defenders who have been able to contain Jackson. Jonathan Cooper, an edge rusher, is aware of this; two years ago, during a game that ended Jackson’s season, he fired Jackson.
You must be aware of his identity. You must be aware of his rigid arm. He senses you when you enter a room. Cooper clarified, “He can move and has quick feet.”
He can jump and cut faster than anyone, really. You only need to make sure that you complete when you arrive. You need to get him on the ground, examine his hips, and really break him down.
And that’s what counts from a personal standpoint. To keep the ball in Jackson’s hands and force the offense to revolve around him rather than running back Derrick Henry, the team must do enough to stop other runners.
The Ravens have discovered over the course of the last six or more seasons that they are more effective when players other than Jackson are participating.
Baltimore’s record, including the postseason, is 44-3 when Jackson does not rush or pass the ball in at least 35% of its snaps. When hitting that milestone, they have won 18 straight games, 15 of which have occurred in the previous two seasons, and they have a 4-0 record this year.
Baltimore is 20-22 in games where the seven-year veteran plays to completion, and at least 65 percent of their offensive plays involve Jackson rushing or passing.
27-4
That is the Ravens’ record for the number of games in which Jackson has not turned the ball over. They are 30-13 after one giveaway; they are 7-8 after he turns the ball over again.
1–7
That is the Broncos’ record in Baltimore against the Ravens. The only team to win at M&T Bank Stadium was the 2012 squad, which was the first to start quarterback Peyton Manning. Denver won 34–17, capping an 11-game winning streak that the Ravens halted 27 days later in the divisional round.