Ravens Rolling Dice by Putting Lamar Jackson Under Center More in 2021

After another playoff appearance in 2020, the Baltimore Ravens are adding a wrinkle to their offense. The Ravens are planning on putting Lamar Jackson under center more often in 2021. 

Baltimore operates from a shotgun and pistol heavy, run-first playbook, which rarely has Jackson receiving the snap from under center. The Ravens utilize the former Heisman trophy winner’s legs, or at least the threat of them, on nearly every play. In 2020, Jackson took a mere 4% of his snaps from this position.

WynnBET currently has Jackson tied with Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott for the fourth-highest odds in the NFL to win MVP (+1500). The Ravens are hoping that by expanding their playbook, this will be the year they make it back to the AFC Championship game, and possibly the Super Bowl.

Although he hasn’t done it much in the NFL, the addition of more under center plays isn’t new for Jackson. After he won the Heisman at Louisville, his coach Bobby Petrino began to use Jackson under center more often. 

Jackson’s ability to throw from the pocket has always been a critique of his. Last year, Jackson and the Ravens didn’t have the tools in order to truly invest time and effort into his passing. In 2020, no pass catcher on the Ravens finished the season with 800 or more yards. 

Baltimore sought out to fix that this offseason. They signed Sammy Watkins and drafted Rashod Bateman in the first round. Watkins spent the last three seasons in Kansas City, mainly as a secondary and tertiary option in the passing game. Bateman is +4000 to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, but the main goal for him is to be serviceable for Jackson. 

Even if the Ravens don’t change their entire scheme to under center, which is likely the case, Jackson would still need tools in order to make it worth the trouble of implementation.