Lamar Jackson is Eye Candy, But John Harbaugh Deserves the Credit
As the Baltimore Ravens transitioned from Joe Flacco to Lamar Jackson at quarterback, Harbaugh’s preparation and diversification remained the one constant for team success.
It took just one week for everyone to forget about the atrocity that was Lamar Jackson’s arm. The 2018 first-rounder went 6–1 as a rookie, but he was truly an eyesore to watch anytime he would drop back. It was almost incomprehensible how bad Jackson was as a passer last season. But not anymore.
The NFL fell in love with Jackson after just one game. It took 324 yards and five TDs for the entire NFL to stop with the jokes. Jackson’s turnaround this season has been commendable, but fans are ignoring the reason for it all. Jackson’s coach, John Harbaugh, has been the driving force for young quarterback’s tantalizing performances the past two years.
Redesigning the Offense
The Baltimore Ravens went into 2018 with Joe Flacco set to be their starting quarterback. Jackson was drafted in the first round to be the QB of the future, but the Ravens hoped he would never see the field as a rookie. Flacco started the season off strong, but he was ultimately benched after turning in a disappointing 4–5 record.
Harbaugh then made the decision to bench Flacco in favor of the unproven rookie. The move brought up many questions because of Jackson’s lack of passing prowess. But Harbaugh quickly quieted the doubters.
This was a pass-heavy, downfield offense with Flacco under center, but that obviously wasn’t going to fly with Jackson at QB. Harbaugh constructed a new offense. He took the deep ball and threw it in the garbage. The new-look Ravens offense featured a zone-run scheme that took a ton snaps out of the shotgun.
The Ravens were the most run-heavy team in the NFL those final seven weeks Jackson was under center. The approach worked. Baltimore controlled time of possession while the defense shut down opposing offenses. The new system honed in on Jackson’s strengths. It allowed him to flourish and get this team to the playoffs.
Harbaugh was willing to go to new depths to win. The number of times his quarterback ran the ball was unprecedented. Jackson logged 147 carries. That marks the most in NFL history by a QB. And let’s not forget, he only started seven games. Jackson ended with a whopping 695 rushing yards that year.
But it wasn’t just the QB that changed. Harbaugh benched starting running back Alex Collins and threw in undrafted free agent Gus Edwards as the starter when Jackson took over. The move came out nowhere, and it was a bit surprising. Edwards played admirably though. In those last seven games, Edwards rushed for 654 yards on 5.4 yards per carry. That’s 1,495 yards over a 16-game pace.
And there’s something to be said about such drastic changes to an offense. The NFL is about scheme fits.
It’s not easy to just tell all your players one week, “this is what we’re doing now.” But Harbaugh made it work.
While Jackson’s inability to pass the ball was their eventual downfall, Harbaugh’s system brought the best out of his young quarterback.
Developing Raw Talent
Harbaugh and did an amazing job working with what he had, but if Jackson couldn’t develop into a competent passer in 2018, it would all mean nothing. Jackson was hilariously bad when he dropped back as a rookie. He made even the easiest of passes look difficult. His lack of mechanics, accuracy and pocket presence was scary.
Still, there’s something no one could ever take from Jackson, his arm strength. And his athleticism, of course. Those are things you can’t teach. Jackson’s rare combination of elite athleticism and arm strength was enticing for teams that were ready to develop the Louisville star QB. Harbaugh was up to the challenge.
In just one offseason, Jackson went from throwing ducks every other play, to the polished playmaker we see on the field today. Jackson looks miles better this season. He’s confident in the pocket, his ball placement is terrific and he’s making some difficult throws. His deep ball with speedster Marquise Brown is a thing of beauty. Harbaugh has taken Jackson’s raw game and turned in into something nobody could have predicted.
Game Planning
It doesn’t end there though. Harbaugh isn’t just a great player developer, he’s excellent at putting together game plans. He always ready to change the offense in drastic ways to attack opposing offenses. And it’s worked to perfection.
Harbaugh unleashed Jackson and the deep ball Week 1 against the burnable Miami Dolphins. Jackson threw for 324 yards and five TDs against this hapless Miami secondary. But perhaps most surprising is that Jackson only ran three times that game after averaging 17 attempts the last seven games of 2018.
Each week the game plan is adjusted based on the opponent. The Bengals have given up a lot of points, but their secondary isn’t terrible. Unfortunately, their linebackers are. To counter that, Harbaugh implemented a ton of the zone-read concepts that Jackson ran out of in 2018. The result? Jackson ran it 19 times for a career-high 152 yards and one TD.
It’s pretty remarkable. Harbaugh has done an excellent job adjusting to the defense they face. And Jackson is in the midst of a breakout season because of it. The sophomore QB is on pace for 4,019 passing yards, 1,227 rushing yards and 34 total TDs. Those are jaw-dropping numbers. Especially when you consider that Jackson threw only six TDs in 2018.
Final Thoughts
The Ravens are 4–2 right now, but the blame can’t be shouldered on Harbaugh, Jackson or this Baltimore offense. Baltimore’s offense currently ranks first in points and second in yards. It’s the defense that has lacked behind. The Ravens still have a chance to contend for a Super Bowl because of how well Jackson is playing. Hats off to the sophomore QB for his dramatic improvement, but even he would give his coach the credit.
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All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
