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Baltimore Ravens rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson is coming off his first career start, leading his team to a 24-21 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
It appears he is on pace to make his second straight start with Joe Flacco still on the mend from a hip injury, as head coach John Harbaugh indicated Wednesday that it will be hard for the veteran quarterback to play this week.
Per Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network:
#Ravens coach John Harbaugh had said it would be tough for Joe Flacco to play… so looks like another Lamar Jackson start. https://t.co/M3lVfalJhp
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 21, 2018
Flacco has been sidelined the last couple of weeks with a hip injury that already forced him to miss last Sunday's game against the Bengals. Baltimore isn't rushing to get him back on the field from the ailment, choosing to let Jackson get more valuable experience with the chance to push his team further into the playoff picture this season.
The 21-year-old displayed poise in his first career start, making a huge impact on the ground. Jackson rushed 27 times for a team-best 117 yards in the contest, which made him the quarterback in league history to notch more than 100 rushing yards in their first career start. The Bengals simply had no answer for him in the running game as he continually picked up sizable chunks of yards on each attempt.
The Ravens may take a different approach this week against the Oakland Raiders, but Jackson should remain a factor with his legs in some capacity. This part of his skill set has made him a dynamic factor under center for opposing teams to game plan against. Jackson should have more opportunities to make plays with his arm against Oakland as the Ravens position themselves to grab another crucial win to increase their playoff chances.
