Slowing down Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is Chargers’ top priority
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By: Gavino Borquez
The Chargers face a tall task when they meet the Ravens on Sunday night. If they want to pull off the upset, it starts with slowing down their biggest threat, Lamar Jackson.
Jackson is playing at an MVP caliber right now, as he has thrown for 2,441 yards, which is on pace to break his career-high mark in passing yards. He’s also getting it done where he’s the most dangerous: on the ground. Jackson leads all quarterbacks with 535 rushing yards.
Jackson’s high level of play is the main reason they have scored at least 31 points in five consecutive games.
If Los Angeles wants to minimize Jackson, it starts up front in the trenches, where they have done an excellent job of getting to him. The Bolts have sacked Jackson six times in two regular season games and seven times in the Wild Card game in 2018.
The Chargers, who have the seventh-most sacks in the league, have to get pressure but fill up the rush lanes so Jackson doesn’t have room to take off and run.
“We’ve all got to rush together on the D-Line,” Tuli Tuipulotu said, per the team’s official website. “We can’t have one person rushing high, someone not covering this gap or something like that.
“We always say this, like four rushes one,” Tuipulotu added. “That’s how we’re going to get to the quarterback, collapse the pocket and contain him.”
Beyond that, arguably the most important thing to be done is limiting the explosive plays. Los Angeles is allowing a league-high 44 explosive plays (20+ yard gain in the passing game). Conversely, Baltimore has the eighth-most explosive plays (36).
While the Ravens don’t have one of their top targets anymore in Mark Andrews, who is out for the season with an ankle injury, Jackson still has a plethora of playmakers, highlighted by rookie Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham Jr.
“When you have Lamar at quarterback, it’s as tough of a coverage as you’re going to have in the league,” Brandon Staley said.
Originally posted on Chargers Wire
