Have NFL defenses begun to figure out Lamar Jackson?

After an excellent first two games of the year, Lamar Jackson hasn’t played as well for the Baltimore Ravens. Have NFL defenses begun to figure him out?

The Baltimore Ravens were looking like one of the better teams in the AFC through two weeks. Baltimore was riding high at 2-0 and franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson looked every bit the superstar he was collegiately in Louisville when he won the Heisman Trophy in 2016.

Flash forward two weeks and Baltimore finds itself at 2-2, losing back-to-back games to the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cleveland Browns. The Kansas City loss was expected, but Jackson didn’t look as dynamic as he did the two weeks before against the Miami Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals.

However, getting beaten up at home to the division-rival Browns in Week 4 was not what the Ravens Flock was hoping for. Baltimore lost 40-25 at home on Sunday to the Browns, as Cleveland finds itself in first place in the AFC North through the first quarter of the season.

Yes, their two other division rivals in the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers look terrible. That being said, it is looking increasingly like a two-team race in the AFC North with the Browns taking an early lead thanks to a road win over the Ravens in Baltimore.

For Baltimore to win the division, the Ravens will need Jackson to play as he did in the ACC. The problem is that Jackson’s emergence as a passer this season might have been a flash in the pan. Are NFL defenses figuring out Jackson as a passer? What does this mean for the Ravens moving forward into quarter No. 2 of the 2019 campaign?

On Sunday, Jackson completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards, three touchdowns and two picks. He also ran the ball nine times for 66 yards. While those stats aren’t bad, they are a bit misleading, as the Ravens never led in the ball game.

Jackson’s counterpart in Baker Mayfield completed 20 of 30 passes for 342 yards, a touchdown and a pick. Those numbers were only helped by the dominating day of Nick Chubb on the ground, as the Cleveland bell-cow back pounded the rock 20 time for 165 yards and three touchdowns.

So the biggest difference in the game you could argue was the Ravens defense’s inability to keep Chubb out of the end zone. That is probably true, but the Ravens will need more consistent offensive firepower out of Jackson if they want to orchestrate a deep playoff run in the AFC.

It’s still too early to say that NFL defenses have figured out Jackson as a passer. That being said, there is a serious jump up on football talent when comparing the Dolphins and the Cardinals to the Chiefs and the Browns. The first pair has no shot at the postseason, while the latter two will likely be playing meaningful football in December. You see the problem.

If Baltimore envisions itself winning multiple playoff games this January, the Ravens will need Jackson to win at least one of those games with his arm. He has shown to be a student of the game, getting better every year since arriving on the Louisville campus. Look for he and offensive coordinator Greg Roman to work together to try to figure something out.

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We should expect that the Ravens will make adjustments offensively, as they have plenty of playmakers in the skill positions to bring the best out of Jackson. However, this is the NFL and teams will adjust multiple times throughout the season. Baltimore is still a good team, but consistent growth from Jackson will be a necessity if the Ravens want to play in January.