Tag: best NFL quarterbacks

Lamar Jackson is the best quarterback without play action

Going against what would seem obvious, Doug Farrar of TD Wire notes Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson is the best NFL QB without play action

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We already know Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is the best player in the league, at least in 2019. His MVP award and numerous broken records confirm that as fact. But for all the talk about how great Jackson is with his legs, it’s his arm that rarely gets consideration.

Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire already pointed out that Jackson is one of the best deep-ball passers in the NFL. Once again, Farrar set the record straight about Jackson, naming him the best quarterback in the league without play action.

“Not that Jackson needed play-action last season to set defenses on edge; they were generally too worried about him taking off on the run and taking it to the house. But on non-play-action throws, no quarterback had a better passer rating than Jackson’s 111.6, which he constructed with 178 completions on 269 attempts for 2,112 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.”

These stats go against the grain of what many have said about Jackson, even after he won the MVP award last season. Even his supporters are likely shocked to hear that 67.5% of his passing yards and 69.4% of his passing touchdowns came on non-play-action throws last season.

While many pundits continue to critique Jackson’s style of play and his arm, the stats don’t lie and they point to Baltimore’s quarterback being far more polished than many would think. Just like the argument that Jackson takes too many hits, we continue to see people debate that Jackson would be nothing without a strong rushing attack to open things up. While it makes sense Jackson would be best when he is able to stymie a pass rush with good play action, the reality is he does just fine from within the pocket making traditional throws.

For those that question if Jackson can stay relevant in the NFL as a mobile quarterback, I implore you to go back and actually watch the games last season. Though Jackson was certainly electric on the run, he actually stuck inside the pocket far more than you’d probably guess and made solid throws with pressure in his face. As he continues to develop as a passer and mature as a quarterback, he should continue to improve in these area and get even better than what we saw last year. And if he’s already one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now, that’s a scary proposition for opposing defenses.

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Lamar Jackson considered among best deep-ball throwers in NFL

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson can do it all apparently. Not only can he make plays with his legs but he’s one of the best deep passers too.

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When most people think of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, they probably don’t think of deep passes. Yet, it’s something more really should.

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar has been taking a deep dive through the NFL to rank the best players at specific tasks. While we already know Jackson is the best mobile quarterback in the league, Farrar put him right in the middle of his list of the best deep-ball passers.

“Including the postseason, he completed 27 of 68 deep passes for 829 yards, 12 touchdowns, two interceptions, and a passer rating of 113.3, fifth-best in the league among quarterbacks who took at least 50% of their snaps.”

Those numbers are somewhat shocking to read. It felt like Jackson didn’t throw downfield very often at all last season, outside of a few games where he kept trying to connect with wide receiver Marquise Brown on deep balls. Yet, 68 passes would be 17% of all of Jackson’s passing attempts last season, while also accounting for 26.5% of his total passing yards and a third of his touchdown passes from 2019.

Farrar also pointed out that Jackson was pretty spot on in Baltimore’s playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans, connecting on 5-of-13 deep passes for 135 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. For a game that saw the Ravens bludgeoned for 60 minutes, that type of success downfield is impressive.

If Jackson is truly one of the best deep-ball quarterbacks in the league, 2020 could be his season to further break out as a passer.

Marquise Brown is finally healthy, looking faster and thicker than he was last year. Miles Boykin has a rare combination of speed and size, which has him primed for a breakout season. Rookie Devin Duvernay is also ridiculously fast and will likely see some targets on deep balls. And we certainly can’t forget Mark Andrews, who was Jackson’s favorite target last year and cemented himself as one of the best tight ends in the NFL in the process.

Regardless of your feelings when the Ravens selected Jackson in the 2018 NFL Draft, he’s proven himself to be deadly to defenses in so many ways. As he continues to develop and mature as a quarterback, it seems like the sky is the limit for Jackson and Baltimore.

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