His stat line was as unimpressive as the game was unwatchable, but Baltimore Ravens rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson won his first start, 24-21, over the swooning Cincinnati Bengals and now it’s time for everyone to lose their minds a little bit. It happens all the time.
Be it Nick Mullens with the San Francisco 49ers after one game or Ryan Fitzpatrick, doing what he always done when thrown into unexpected service, for a handful of games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jackson will be anointed as the savior of the Ravens franchise for the next week. Thanks to a very friendly schedule over final month or so of the season, it might actually be true.
Coming into the weekend, the Ravens Super Bowl odds sat at +6500. Right before kickoff when it was official that Jackson would get the nod at quarterback, the odds moved to +6300. Now, after a victory that probably wrapped up the Bengals playoff hopes, the Jackson-led Ravens Super Bowl odds have moved again. Now they’re +5000. That’s a 1,500 swing in 48 hours all thanks to Jackson taking the field and winning in his starting debut.
Lamar Jackson is the first quarterback to run for 100 yards in a game since Colin Kaepernick on November 27, 2016.
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) November 18, 2018
Now, those are still long shot odds, but it does show the excitement that a fresh face can deliver with a moribund franchise. Regular starter Joe Flacco will miss at least one more game with his injured hip, but is expected to be ready to play when the team travels to Kansas City for a sure beat down at the hands of the Chiefs.
It’s not a secret that Joe Flacco might leave the Ravens this offseason and not by choice. Flacco still has four years left on his current contract and is due to make $18.5 million next season. If the Ravens cut him, they’ll have to eat $16 million in dead cap money. Not only is Flacco likely on his way out, but reports have that head coach John Harbaugh is ready to walk away at the end of the season too.
Related: NFL Betting Guide
Ultimately, Lamar Jackson’s success Sunday happened with a lot of help from another guy named “Jackson.” Specifically, Hue Jackson, newly-minted defensive coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis brought in Hue to help with the team’s defense in spite of the former Cleveland Browns head coach having never coached on that side of the ball.
We knew Hue Jackson was working with the defense in Cincy but @TomPelissero says he’s been spending all of his time on that side of the ball. I mentioned on @gmfb yesterday Jackson might be calling the defense in a few weeks. For now, it’s Marvin Lewis.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 18, 2018
Well, if you thought Hue Jackson was awful as a head coach, then you were not surprised at all to see him completely soil the sheets as the defensive mastermind of Cincy’s gameplan Sunday. Lamar Jackson, for all his talents, has never been an accurate passer. He did not once achieve a 60-percent completion rate in his entire collegiate career.
Baltimore knew this, so they designed an offensive plan where Lamar Jackson would pass very little and instead run the ball through plenty of option looks. Their final run-pass ratio was 51-19. Running, right now, is all Jackson can consistently do as a quarterback.
.@Lj_era8 on the move!
📺: CBS #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/UEiZUAihEz
— NFL (@NFL) November 18, 2018
Jackson’s final state line? He was 13-of-19 passing for 150 yards and a pick with 27 rushes for 117 yards. I mean, who could have seen that coming — except for everyone on Planet Earth that had watched at least one down of football. Hue Jackson still has that magic!
Lamar Jackson will start at least one more game, a home contest against the Oakland Raiders next Sunday. There’s no question the Ravens will be favored in that one. The real test to see if Lamar can hold onto the job is Dec. 2 at the Atlanta Falcons and Dec. 9 at the Kansas City Chiefs. The Falcons have the No. 21 ranked run defense in the league. The Chiefs are right behind them at No. 22. There’s a real chance the Ravens can make this work.
Lamar Jackson had 27 carries for 117 yards today. His 27 carries were the most for a quarterback in an NFL game since 1950.
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) November 18, 2018
