The Baltimore Ravens are having a fantastic season in 2023-24, their 8-3 record good enough for first place in the American Football Conference — and Lamar Jackson has been a huge part of that.
The superstar signal-caller has been superb in his sixth full NFL campaign, already throwing for 2,441 yards and 12 touchdowns, adding another 535 rushing yards and five additional scores of his own.
Jackson is the most important player in the league for the next seven weeks — at least according to ESPN's Dan Graziano.
“I'll say Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. They have a real opportunity to claim the No. 1 seed in the AFC. (They occupy that spot at the moment.) Jackson hasn't been healthy enough to finish either of the past two seasons, so first he has to show he can stay on the field,” wrote the longtime NFL analyst on Wednesday.
“Second, he just lost his favorite receiving target, tight end Mark Andrews, to what likely is a season-ending ankle injury. He has to show he's able to adapt as a passer and a team leader without Andrews. I have no doubt about Jackson's ability to do any of this. He's as talented and dedicated as any player in the league, and Andrews told me in a conversation a couple of weeks ago that Jackson ‘has really taken it to another level as a leader this year, which I wouldn't have thought he could do because he was already such a great leader.'”
Jackson taking on leadership role with Ravens
Besides his excellence on the field, Lamar Jackson's improved leadership is also turning heads in the Ravens' front office this year.
“He's evolving,” a team source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. “There's a different air about him, with better communication.”
Fowler credits both Jackson's five-year, $260 million extension, as well as new playcaller Todd Monken, for the team's continued success in 2023.
“People with the Ravens have noticed Jackson's personality coming out more with the new offense. He has been more aggressive checking into plays he likes, which helps coaches discover more about him and his preferences,” reported Fowler.
“The new offense is up nearly 33 yards per game from last season, which Baltimore hopes gives it a new edge come playoff time. One area Jackson must address before then: cleaner fourth-quarter play. Since the 2021 season, he leads all quarterbacks in fourth quarter or overtime turnovers (12).”
It's looking more and more like the AFC could go through the Baltimore Ravens in 2024, and Lamar Jackson looks to be up to the challenge.
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