OWINGS MILLS, Md. — On a recent teleconference, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson heard a reporter mention how COVID-19 — and not an injury from running the ball — was first to “knock him out” of a game.
Jackson began to shadow box, playfully throwing jabs at the camera.
The reigning NFL MVP is back to acting like, well, the NFL MVP from a year ago. This season already has been wrought with more challenges and defeats than 2019, and Jackson has been the face of that frustration, whether it was shaking his head after a turnover or smacking his helmet with both hands following a poor throw.
On Thanksgiving, Jackson was dealt another blow when he tested positive for the coronavirus, which blindsided him harder than any Pro Bowl pass-rusher. He slept for most of his 10-day quarantine while experiencing flu-like symptoms.
When it was time to suit up again, Jackson still hadn’t regained his taste or smell. What did return in Tuesday’s 34-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys was Jackson’s exuberant embrace of the game.
Jackson no longer was playing on a field where he felt the pressure of being No. 1 target for defensive coordinators and critics. After having the game ripped away for a brief period, he ran around defenders and tossed touchdowns like he was in the backyard again, looking equally loose and confident.
“I definitely think that bout with COVID-19 was really eye-opening for him,” Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. “And just the appreciation for the opportunity to be around the teammates and play this great game was magnified, really, by that whole experience. So, I definitely noticed a little pep in his step. He really brought some life and some juice to us.”
When the Ravens play at the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN), they will need that same jolt from Jackson. This fighter mentality has defined Jackson as much as his electric runs, whether it’s rebounding from COVID-19 or bouncing back from a shot from a linebacker. He’s taken the most hits by a quarterback in each of the past two seasons, and he has gotten up immediately every time.
The return of Jackson comes at a time when the Ravens need to battle back to make the playoffs. With four weeks remaining, Baltimore (7-5) trails the Indianapolis Colts (8-4) and the Miami Dolphins (8-4) by one game for the final wild card spots in the AFC.
In looking to reach the postseason for a third straight season with Jackson, Baltimore has shown the ability to rally around his on-field emotions. Last year, the best season in Ravens history was jump-started in Seattle, where Jackson convinced coach John Harbaugh to let him go back on the field and convert a critical fourth down in the red zone. Jackson then kept the ball and powered his way for an 8-yard touchdown, sparking a run in which Baltimore beat some of the best teams in the league by double digits.
On Tuesday night, Jackson was at it again, throwing both hands up and waving back the field goal team to the sideline on fourth-and-2. Similar to Seattle, Jackson made sure the ball was in his hands, giving a fake on a run option and then ripping through the Cowboys’ defense for a 37-yard touchdown run. To celebrate, Jackson thought about throwing the ball against the wall in the end zone before walking up to a stadium worker to give him a handshake as well a pat on the back.
“I did have fun coming back. I was out two weeks. I missed my guys,” Jackson said. “Most importantly, it’s [a] win-or-go-home [mentality] for us right now. So, we’re just going out there and just putting our all out there on the line for one another. That’s just joy for me.”
Before Jackson’s three-touchdown performance against Dallas, the Ravens were not certain whether he would play. He got hit hard by COVID-19, and he was still feeling the effects even toward the end of his required 10-day quarantine.
In retrospect, Baltimore shouldn’t have been worried, based on Jackson’s track record. It’s fair game to critique his sidearm delivery, his footwork and his decision-making. But there’s never been any reason to question his resiliency.
Jackson has sustained more contact than any other quarterback over the past three years. Since becoming Baltimore’s starting quarterback midway through the 2018 season, Jackson’s game of designed runs, run-options and scrambles have led to 427 hits — which are 126 more than any other quarterback during that span. For the most part, Jackson jumps to his feet faster than defenders after collisions.
For those who were skeptical of Jackson’s durability, he has yet to be sidelined for any of his 35 starts due to injury. Jackson has missed one practice in the regular season because of an injury (excluding illness).
“It’s a grown-man game. You’re going to get hit no matter what,” Jackson said. “Sometimes, I’ll be on the ground and might get hit, but it is what it is. I signed up for it. That’s what it is. Just, I hope I get protected sometimes by the refs. But I love the game, so I’ll be good. My adrenaline is rushing, so sometimes I don’t really feel those hits.”
Over the past two decades, no quarterback has been hit more frequently than Jackson this early in his career. Jackson has taken hits on 32.4% of his plays, which ranks higher than the first three seasons for Cam Newton (24.7%) and his current backup, Robert Griffin III (22.9%).
Some NFL coaches point out Jackson isn’t taking many full-force blows. Tacklers are put on their heels by Jackson’s elusiveness, and they’re more worried about just getting him to the ground.
“They become more grapplers than strikers,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.
Said Titans coach Mike Vrabel: “You have to be careful trying to take these big shots on him, because he’s just going to make you miss. We’ve seen that against us.”
The number of hits shouldn’t be considered a barometer of Jackson’s longevity. It’s the total number of clean shots against him — which have been few.
In addition to making tacklers miss, Jackson has a way of angling his body at the very last moment to avoid a major impact.
Matt Bowen, a former NFL safety who is now an ESPN analyst, played with Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, and he sees some of his running style in Jackson. Both have superior body control and core power, which allows them to avoid getting squared up and blasted.
“It’s natural gifts,” Bowen said. “You can’t teach that. You can’t go to a trainer or a weight room and develop it. Some people have them, a lot of people don’t.”
Jackson rarely takes the easy way out. He has never slid (although the Ravens have spoken to him about doing it). He’ll run in between the tackles if he can pick up a first down. He only runs out of bounds if there is no chance of getting an extra yard.
The Ravens go against conventional thinking. Team officials feel Jackson is safer when he’s running with the ball, and recent history has proved them right.
In Jackson’s two full seasons as an NFL starter, there have been 10 quarterbacks who have missed significant time due to injury. Many of them got hurt while standing in the pocket like Drew Brees (ribs) and Joe Burrow (knee). Over that same time, Jackson has been listed as questionable on an injury report three times (for illness and quadricep injury in 2019 and for a knee injury this season).
“I’ve got a little bit of experience with this type of thing over the course of time, and what I’ve found is if a guy is making good decisions, when he’s in space, he’s actually in control, as opposed to standing in the pocket with your eyes glued downfield,” said Roman, who has worked with Tyrod Taylor and Colin Kaepernick. “That’s generally when bad things happen — you’re exposed.”
Jackson isn’t in the conversation to repeat as NFL MVP. He might not even make the Pro Bowl.
Last season, Jackson led the NFL in Total QBR (63.0) and touchdown passes (36). Entering Week 14, he is 20th in Total QBR (63.0) and 19th in touchdown passes (17).
But Jackson has time to show he’s still the most valuable player on the Ravens by rallying a banged-up and underachieving team to the postseason. If Jackson can lead the Ravens to the playoffs for a third straight season, the only quarterback with longer active streak with the same team would be Brees (four).
After recovering from COVID-19, Jackson provided an immediate lift when he ran out onto the field during warm-ups and hugged everyone in the huddle. During the game, running back Gus Edwards got another up-close look at Jackson’s excitement. After breaking runs of 36, 24 and 21 yards, Edwards turned around and Jackson was right there running after him.
“He was cheering his teammates on. He was real vocal on the sideline,” Edwards said. “You could tell he missed the game through that practice, and then through the game. You could tell he was just having so much fun out there.”
The Ravens also know Jackson was going to do whatever it takes to win. On Tuesday, he converted two fourth downs by running the ball and he looked to finish off the game himself. With Baltimore ahead 27-17 late in the fourth quarter, Jackson tried to score from eight yards out instead of handing it off to a running back. He didn’t score a touchdown, but he made his point.
Not many quarterbacks would try that. But Jackson isn’t like many quarterbacks.
“That’s who he is, for sure,” Harbaugh said. “So, he’s always going to try to score. He’s always going to try to get the first down. I don’t think it’s a revelation, but it’s certainly his personality and his style and all of that. That’s who he is; he’s a big-time competitor.”
