12:02 pm | November 25, 2018 | Go to Source | Author:
BALTIMORE — Lamar Jackson clearly wanted to answer the questions about whether he can throw in the NFL.
A week after all the talk was about him running the ball more than any quarterback in the Super Bowl era, the Baltimore Ravens relied on Jackson’s arm to defeat the Oakland Raiders 34-17 on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
Though it wasn’t efficient, Jackson completed 14 of 25 passes for 178 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. He was at his best when hitting tight end Mark Andrews in stride for a 74-yard completion (the longest play from scrimmage this year for Baltimore) and finding Michael Crabtree for an 8-yard touchdown on third-and-goal in the fourth quarter.
Jackson has won both of his NFL starts to keep the Ravens (6-5) in control of their playoff fate. Baltimore would be the AFC’s No. 6 seed if the regular season ended today.
If Joe Flacco can return this week, it will present a difficult decision at starting quarterback for coach John Harbaugh. Flacco hasn’t practiced since injuring his right hip on Nov. 14 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After Jackson’s first start, the major storyline was that he ran 27 times. On Sunday, he ran 11 times for 71 yards, a bulk of which came on a late 39-yard dash in the fourth quarter.
By halftime, Jackson had nearly as many pass attempts (18) as he did for his entire first start (19). There were certainly hiccups along the way for the rookie first-round pick. Jackson forced a pass over the middle, where the twice-deflected throw was intercepted. And, when he only needed a few yards for a field goal late in the first half, Jackson threw a deep pass to Crabtree that was again tipped and picked off.
Still, it was a dramatically different approach this time. A week ago, Jackson essentially apologized to Crabtree for not getting him the ball. This time, with Ravens up 20-17 in the fourth quarter, Jackson didn’t run the ball on third-and-goal. Instead, he delivered the ball to Crabtree, as the Ravens won consecutive games for the first time since September.
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