Subscribe
Follow Us
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Peyton Manning aren't typically brought up in the same conversation unless your name is Jeff Saturday. Following the Ravens' 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Jackson showed out once again on Monday Night Football.
With 177 passing yards and three total touchdowns, he also kept his interception-free streak alive, as he hasn't thrown an interception in a Monday Night game in his career. Regardless, Manning's former center appeared on ESPN's Get Up on Tuesday and spoke about some intriguing similarities between the two quarterbacks.
“I think for Lamar Jackson and for Peyton Manning, the criticism both of them have received, is in their entirety of the team,” Saturday said. “No one talks about the team nearly as much. Very few people talk about the three starting offensive linemen, and the defensive coordinator leaving.
“It always goes back to wins and losses with the Quarterback, Peyton had to hear the same thing. They could not be closer aligned in that way.”
Ravens' Lamar Jackson and Peyton Manning are similar yet extremely different
Article Continues Below
Although Saturday makes an accurate point, the two quarterbacks could not be opposites in terms of their playstyles. Manning was a pure pocket passer and could dissect the defense from anyway.
For Jackson, he's developed his passing game but is lethal with his legs. He's already one of the best-rushing quarterbacks the game has ever seen. His explosiveness and dual-threat ability force defense to choose what part of his game they want to win.
To go back to Saturday though, both Manning and Jackson changed at coordinator, as well as key players. Jackson went from offensive coordinator Greg Roman to Todd Monken and won an MVP as a result. The offense is more spread out while utilizing his legs but not as much. Manning had the same offensive coordinator with Tom Moore when he was with the Colts. He initiated swing passes, screens, and seven-man protection for him to have ample time to throw.
After Saturday spoke, Mike Greenberg shared his thoughts about the similarities with their careers as of this moment.
“If you look at where they were, winning a bunch of MVPs, having the best team, going into the playoffs as the favorite multiple times, always having somehow found a way not to get it done,” Greenberg said. “That was sort of what Peyton needed to get over and that is where Lamar Jackson is.”
With Jackson poised to potentially win another MVP trophy, his focus will be on the Super Bowl trophy. The Ravens offense is high-octane, as it's the second-best offense in the league. However, having that translate to postseason ball will be something the Ravens and Jackson aspire to do.
