Is Action Jackson the real deal?
doubledragon
Posts: 23,269 ✭✭✭✭✭
I went to bed last night after watching Lamar Jackson throw his second interception thinking the Chiefs were going to win, I woke up this morning to find out the Ravens won 36-35 and Lamar Jackson said "it feels good to get that monkey off our back", so is this a fluke win, or is Action Jackson the real deal?
Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson on finally beating Kansas City Chiefs: 'Feels good to get that monkey off of our back'
BALTIMORE -- With a somersault touchdown and a clutch fourth-down conversion, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson beat the Kansas City Chiefs and his self-described "kryptonite" for the first time in a thrilling 36-35 decision on Sunday night.
Jackson carried the short-handed Ravens to their first win over Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs after three defeats by running for 113 yards and throwing for 239 yards.
The odds were seemingly stacked against Baltimore, which was down several injured players and trailed by 11 points (35-24) to start the fourth quarter. Jackson then delivered the biggest fourth-quarter comeback of his career, running for two touchdowns, including a flip into the end zone for the winning, 1-yard score.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh celebrated the emotional win by giving Jackson a huge hug on the field.
"It feels good to get that monkey off of our back," said Jackson, whose three of eight regular-season losses have come against Kansas City. "We've got to move on to Detroit now. We didn't win the Super Bowl yet; it's just one game. We've got to just keep staying focused."
The Ravens evened their record at 1-1 with one of their most improbable victories. Injuries forced Baltimore to play without All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley, its top two running backs and rookie wide receiver and first-round pick Rashod Bateman, as well as a dozen others on injured reserve.
But the Ravens had Jackson, who gave them all of the confidence they needed to upset the reigning AFC champions. Up by one point with 1 minute, 5 seconds remaining, Harbaugh yelled to Jackson and asked whether Baltimore should go for fourth-and-1 at its own 43-yard line.
"I'm like, 'Hell, yeah!'" Jackson explained after the game. "I said it again."
Jackson took the snap in the pistol formation and ran up the middle of the defense, putting his head down for a 2-yard gain to close out the game.
It was a gutsy run by Jackson and a nearly unprecedented call by Harbaugh. Since 2000, this marked only the second time that a team went for it on fourth down in the final two minutes of a game when leading by less than a field goal, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Was there any doubt that Harbaugh was going to go for it?
"No, there wasn't," Harbaugh said. "But I think I wanted to be sure myself, you know? I knew [Jackson] was going to say yes, but we were going for it at that point."
Jackson became the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era with 100 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns in multiple games. He also tied Michael Vick for the most 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback with his 11th (including playoffs).
This just didn't have the makings of a record-setting night for Jackson. He threw two interceptions in the first quarter, including a pick-six on his second pass attempt.
After the second interception, a visibly frustrated Jackson threw his helmet down on the sideline.
"I know my team is going to look at me," Jackson said. "If I'm out there just messing up, they're going to be like, 'God damn, what are you doing?' So, I've got to do it for my guys. My guys have my back. The first two interceptions, they were like, 'Man, you're good; you got that out the way. Let's just play.' I was like, 'You're right, I've got to play now. That's over with.' And that's what we did."
Jackson settled down, throwing a 42-yard touchdown to Marquise "Hollywood" Brown in the third quarter before setting up his greatest comeback.
Before Sunday, Jackson was 0-6 in his career when trailing by 11 or more points in the fourth quarter (including playoffs). His previous biggest comeback was three points (Week 5 in 2019 at the Pittsburgh Steelers).
Jackson's high-flying, 1-yard touchdown with 3:14 left gave the Ravens their first lead and put them ahead for good.
"He's incredible, man," Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said. "That's the guy right there. It's hard to put into words, but he put the team on his shoulders many, many times tonight."
Comments
I got to give Jackson credit, after throwing those two interceptions, he showed a lot of heart and put on a gutsy performance. Going for it on fourth down with 1:05 left in the game leading by less than a field goal in your own territory took some pretty big guts as well, because if you don't get that first down, you're screwed.
He is amazing, but the caveat (thus far) is that he wins with his legs. So if you are a Ravens fan, it is probably exciting but also scary. Watching that game without a dog in the fight, I could enjoy it. It is interesting to watch an NFL game where the best athlete on the field is the QB. I watched it and enjoyed it, putting it in perspective. Vick was the best athlete on the field too. That one season with the Eagles, you know the one, was a lot of fun for me to watch. Vick admittedly never practiced and didn't give the game the respect it deserved (if he was to become all he could be). But for that small window that year it was amazing (in my eyes) to see how he played. But he was a much different passer than Jackson. Jackson is an even better athlete but not the thrower that Vick was.
he is very exciting to watch, but his current game is not sustainable. he will suffer serious injury if he continues running this much.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I think he needs to work on his passing a lot, you have to be able to throw the ball in this league or it will catch up to you eventually.
Lamar Jackson is so elusive that on most of his runs he's safe and barring some really freak sort of slip an injury isn't really a concern --- but --- last night he ran up the middle maybe 3-4 times that I saw, that's where the danger lurks. if he gets hit by two or more players at the same time and wrong moment he could be finished.
I don't know if anyone remembers when Gronk suffered his knee injury in 2013 vs. Cleveland?? he was running up the seam with one player on the left bringing him down from behind as another roll tackled him on the right side..........................at exactly the moment his cleats hit the turf. a moment earlier or a moment later and it would have been a normal tackle. as it was, his plant-knee suffered a tear and ended the season for him.
in a scenario like that Jackson might be gone for however many games are left in the season. without him, what would the Ravens do for offense??
Blah, blah, blah. The hype factory is in full production. Last year through 8 weeks it was Russell, Russell, Russell. Not one MVP vote ever!!! How can that be???? Oh wait week 9 happens every year and the let Russ cook chants faded into the background.
Kansas City must have burned the game film from Buf-Balt playoffs because they sure didn’t watch it. Blitz him constantly, Don’t fall for fakes and hit him every play. He lasted 3 quarters and 3 points. KC defense sucks period. Blown coverages. Wide open receivers and 7 players up front lost in space.
Mahomes throws a stupid interception and a rook fumbles the game away or we’re talking another KC victory even though they didn’t deserve it.
The league loves him and the hype sells merchandise. Let’s revisit this statement sooner than later.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Time will tell.
i just ranted on the brady praise thread and i'm gonna do the same thing here. less focusing on one player, more focusing on the team as a whole. the Ravens defense sucks. if it didn't, Jackson would be constantly placed in a position to thrive -- up in the 4th, run the clock, force opposing defenses to stop what they know is coming. few can do it. that's when he's at his best. but if Baltimore has to come from 2 touchdowns behind because of their matador defense in order to reach the promise land every single game, that's not a blueprint for success. that's not Baltimore's modus operandi. yes, it actually happened last night, but that's because Kansas City's defense sucks equally as much. come playoff time, you'll lock horns with someone who can stop you.
bottom line: there are ways to win in the NFL other than throwing the ball 75 times for 550 yards. but that requires every individual on the team to do their respective jobs. otherwise, you turn into a fish that's out of water and you're forced to do things you're unaccustomed to doing.
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
bottom line: there are ways to win in the NFL other than throwing the ball 75 times for 550 yards.
I don't think most Teams got that text message, it's the new modus operandi in the NFL. there are still a few Teams which choose to run the ball but most running in games is late to salt things away. running the ball isn't a major feature of the NFL anymore, it's done to slow the rush and keep the defense honest. ever since Bill Walsh came up with the West Coast Offense it's been like that. why run when you can effectively accomplish the same thing with more success on a two-step drop?? everyone does it now, even the worst Teams. the best Teams just do it better.
I love Lamar
FYI there was a poll of football insiders where everyone was available to be drafted. Starting from scratch. Lamar would likely be the 6th pick out of everyone. His talents are pretty unique.
He is 6' 2" and goes 215. He almost always the fastest man on the field. Oh, and he is 24 years old .
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Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
No doubt he’s the best athlete on the field every weekend. That doesn’t always cross to a great QB. Already today on the sports talk show all I heard was Lamar and because they beat the chiefs last night the Ravens are the best team since sliced bread. Need. I remind everyone the Chiefs haven’t looked all the spiffy in 5 of their last 6 games. Their OL is still Swiss cheese. Heck, Dallas should have beat them too. And Dallas isn’t exactly the 89 49ers. You are going to see a lot of teams that were world beaters come down to earth this year. Age, injuries, free agency. 4 teams that made the playoffs last year, won’t this year.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Randall Cunningham and Michael Vick say it’s sustainable. But it’s a dangerous game to count on your legs more so than your arm
I don't feel any different about Lamar or the Chiefs after last nights game. I just enjoyed it for what it was. Entertainment
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Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
i watch a game like last night and walk away with a different perspective
and it all started with the very first game of the season
when it comes to stopping the most prolific offenses in the nfl, most defenses are straight garbage and nowhere close to being up to the task
if you're a serious Chiefs fan and being completely honest with yourself, you can't even think about what Mahomes is doing on the field because your defense is an abomination
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
The defensive game plan was suspect. Did they forget they were playing the Ravens and game plan for Mac Jones? Maybe they got their weeks mixed up. Hey, it could happen. 😉
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Be sure to check out the action packed feature on September 26, when our hero will be taking down the Detroit Lions.
Jackson is 31-8 as a starting quarterback. That's a significantly higher winning percentage than even Tom Brady. Yes, he absolutely needs to work on his throwing and decision making (his 2nd INT was horrible, a throw into triple coverage) but he wins games and gets it done. He's already led the NFL in passing TDs once as well.
I just wish he played anywhere else other than for the Ravens.
The Chiefs can't be all that bad since somewhere in your imagination they must have pulled out a victory over Dallas.
No sacks on Mahomes and the OL is still Swiss cheese? Okay, whatever. The defense will get better, this is only
the second game of the season.
If the Bills are going anywhere this year they better get a decent QB. Have you guys checked his stats lately? Terrible.
After all week two is complete so according to all you football savants its time to overreact.
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I'd like to interject something here that is pretty obvious yet interesting (in my opinion). This is something I believe I have pointed out before, When I watch the Chiefs play, and in particular Mahomes and Reid, I sometimes naturally think of my experiences watching the Patriots, Brady , and Belichick. Now that it is finished, I can look back with a macro view at the great Patriots teams and their accomplishments. But also look back and enjoy the different iterations of the team. And I remember the year to year, even week to week ups and downs. When I am watching the Chiefs now, unfolding in real time, I think about how dominant they have looked ( and the win and loss record). And it does seem like we might be watching a dynasty be created in front of us. But the road is rocky and bumps come along. Jackson played great, and the Ravens were certainly playing with a chip on the shoulder, trying to finally beat their big brother. The Chiefs, despite how well the Ravens played and their own mistakes, almost won a close game. The Chiefs have been winning the close ones up until now.
the thing with the Chiefs is perfection, their opponents need to play error free football to win but the Chiefs need to play error free offense to gain that same result. that's tightrope walk that isn't as obvious with any other Team.
compare the Chiefs first two games thus far:
--- in the victory over Cleveland, the Kansas City offense made no mistakes and the Mahomes "Hail-Mary" ended in a 75 yard TD. Cleveland lost a fumble and muffed a punt, yet still had a realistic chance of winning if not for the game saving tackle by Sorensen which caused the Mayfield interception.
--- in the loss to Baltimore, the Mahomes magic ended badly on both desperation throws, the first was an Intentional Grounding penalty and the second was an interception. the KC offense sealed things with a fumble. meanwhile, their defense played so poorly that they couldn't win despite two interceptions, one a pick-six.
someone posted at another site that the KC offense has to score on every possession simply because their defense is so bad. understandably, that is unsustainable and a bit of an exaggeration. suffice as to say that when Kansas City starts making mistakes on offense their chance of victory gets smaller. while that might seem like a silly statement and true for every Team, it is glaringly more obvious with the Chiefs. look at the Ravens, their offense was able to overcome the mistakes they made.
@keets Interesting points. Also true, at the same time, is that KC almost won despite their mistakes and with Baltimore really playing well. So the Chiefs are obviously tough to beat even when they make mistakes and their opponent excels. I am not saying this to negate your points, but rather to say that the development of a stout KC defense would really make them hard to beat.
rather to say that the development of a stout KC defense would really make them hard to beat.
JMHO, but that needs to be done during the season. as evidenced by the Cleveland defense, you can bring in all the parts via experience and the draft, but it takes a while for all the moving parts to become a cohesive unit. that's easier to accomplish on offense as the revamped KC OL is showing. the difficulty on defense is that it's reacting to the offense and that is always changing. in the example of Cleveland, the players they brought in and drafted are intended to counter what Teams like KC are doing, but those Teams have changed since last season.
the irony of the KC loss is that they made a lot of hay out of the fact that Mathieu came back and he affected the game, but that wasn't enough to offset the speed of Lamar Jackson. it's time for everyone to face facts: Jackson has been here for four years and nobody is very good at stopping him when he runs. why can we face facts about Mahomes and Brady but be Jackson deniers?? all these shit-hot defensive coordinators need to step up and figure him out or admit that they can't.
back to the "stout" KC defense, why would that make a difference?? the offenses would simply scheme around it. in today's NFL, no defense really stops anyone and that is by design, it's the way the League wants it. the only thing that stopr Teams from scoring is a crappy offense. when was the last time there was a rule change that limited what the offense can do?? I can't think of one, the NFL constantly changes rules to the advantage of the offense and then the defense needs to figure out how to counter it.
I'm old school, cut my teeth on 1960's, 1970's NFL play. the game might be more exciting to most fans but it's a shadow of what it once was.
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KC almost always wins, seemingly even when it is a shootout or close to it. It seems as though during their SB winning year we were hearing more about how the defense was contributing. The defense seems to have taken a step back. But having just a consistently above average defense would go a long way.
With KC you just can't let them have the ball last. They will score
m
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
With KC you just can't let them have the ball last. They will score unless they fumble.
Mark, that's what was frustrating about the Cleveland game, it was set-up perfectly for a last drive and no time left on the clock. I was optimistic because the Chiefs had only stopped the Browns once, the punt SNAFU, and it looked like they wouldn't stop us then.
KC reminds me a lot of Elway and the mid-80's Broncos.
I agree with everything except you seem to be saying Mahomes intentional grounding penalty was a mistake
on his part. The ball was snapped way over his head, he ran back to pick it up and instead of diving on it
at the Chiefs one yard line he picked it up quickly and heaved it. It would have been a mistake if he had
tried to pick it up, didn't get a grasp of it and let the Ravens recover, but that did not happen.
So the outcome of the intentional grounding call wasn't any worse than just diving on the ball at the one yard line.
I do think the Chiefs D will improve as the season goes along, but it does suck when they're up 11 points
on the Raven and then KC has an offensive drive or two stall out and the first thing I think is, well this is
going to end badly because they're just letting the Ravens get back in it. Chiefs should have blown them
out when they had the chance but even the Chiefs offense isn't perfect.
I did like the fact that Mahomes did get Hardman, Pringle, and Robinson worked into the offense when
they shut down Tyreek. Kelce and Tyreek definitely not our only offensive weapons, but they are the best weapons.
It seems like our linebackers have virtually no 'ball hawking' instincts. Bolton the rookie may turn out to be very
good, but I'm not impressed with our veteran linebackers at all. Even Reid said after the game they need to be
a lot better at shedding blocks and converging on the ball carrier.
Damn if we could just somehow find the next Lawrence Taylor to lead the KC defense we would be world beaters.
so...................I just looked at the Chiefs schedule and it seems to alternate between tough and easy from week to week. just my perception, but they need to start putting Teams away if they are really as good as we think they are. the same goes for the Ravens and all the other pretenders to the throne. continual winning by a whisker where it really comes down to which Team has the ball last may be good for fan excitement but it isn't how the best Teams play.
the best Teams do what the Bucs did last week, they win by comfortable margins, I would say 10+ points.
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You guys are pretty close to world beater status as is. But yes, the group of linebackers on your team is SO important. I have not followed your linebackers closely, but as you say you are not impressed. The Patriots best teams often followed the ups and downs of our linebackers ( and the defensive backs and edge rushers). They are the guys who come through with the strip sacks and interceptions and fumble recoveries, etc.
I still think it was scheme that beat you. The formula is hit Jackson when he has the ball, hit Jackson on every RPO. Don’t fall for the fake. Let someone else take the RB. Once he becomes a running back he is fair game. Not dirty hits, just stay on him. Blitz and hit. If he beats you passing, congratulations but you can’t let him run.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
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What is being said about game? Was it the defensive scheme and play calling of the Chiefs that was bad? Or that the personnel is suspect?
I have no idea. I got tired of seeing the replay 24/7 and the talking heads slobbering over Jackson. I’m just going with what I saw. Linebacker lost, blown coverages and just terrible defense. All this could have been avoided if Clyde covers up the ball but that’s part of the game.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Exactly. The Chiefs did just the opposite, they never hit Jackson until he was about 8-10 yards down the field.
A QB like Jackson, if he wants to run the ball, fine, then punish the hell out of him all game long for running.
Even the last play when the Ravens sealed the game on 4th and 1, SEND EVERYBODY. What did they think
he was going to do, throw it in that situation. If he sees the blitz coming and gets rid of the ball quickly to
a receiver, that's fine, at least for once in the entire game he didn't beat you by runnning. It gets ridiculous
watching that the whole game, and also harks back to what I said about the line backers not having any
instincts. Willie Lanier and Bobby Bell would have sent him off the field on a stretcher.
I hate the ratbirds, but the dude has won an MVP and you're asking if he is legit? 🤷♂️
So has Cam Newton and look at him now.
A few hits and a half step and he’s Cam 2.0
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
that sounds exactly like the Patriots game plan against the greatest show on turf. Hit Marshall Faulk on every play. shadow him and smash him.
It does work.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I have a question: if the prescribed solution for Lamar Jackson is so sound, why isn't it used on other successful QB's?? it may be that Jackson is a little more durable than we suspect, thus, he survives contact that might knock out another QB. running up-the-middle is generally suicide for a QB, Jackson did that maybe 4-5 times against KC, including the most important play of the game, and came away unscathed. if you remember that MNF against Cleveland last season, the Browns " rang his bell" in the 4th quarter, did the same to his back-up and Lamar came back to throw the winning TD. he's more durable than an average QB.
it's not like the tactic of hitting him hard hasn't been tried, but I think fans just need to get used to him doing things like he did to KC. as a Browns fan, I watch this twice a year. the odds favor him eventually getting hurt but it seems that might not be as simple as it sounds.
I think part of it is that Jackson is very difficult to hit squarely. very fast and shifty. I remember Barry Sanders was the same way. hard to get a good lick on him. The more he does it though, the higher his chances of getting that one big hit.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Watch the tape of the Bills-Ravens playoff game. The Bills stacked 8 players in the box. Blitzed 40% and never let him outside. The Chargers put 7 DB’s in their playoff game and matched his speed to the outside
The Bills dared him to beat them with his arm. Through 3 quarters the Ravens scored 3 points and a pick six. If he beats you throwing then he beats you. But don’t let him beat you with what he does best.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
I want to add there is no doubt he is the most gifted athlete on the field every time he steps out there. The media loves his video game plays and the NFL loves to hype his games because it brings in viewership and revenue. RGIII was exactly the same. Excitement. Kordell Stewart, remember slash? Cam Newton. Funny thing is a boring guy like Brady outlasted all of the aforementioned
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.