Lamar Jackson was selected 32nd overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens which shook the world and Ravens fans. Why draft a new quarterback when you have Joe Flacco? The Ravens knew exactly what they were doing.
Jackson had a fantastic, record-breaking run in college at the University of Louisville. His freshman year, he started eight games finishing with 1,840 yards and 12 touchdowns. That year, Jackson played in the 2015 Music City Bowl game where he was named MVP and set a record for 226 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the bowl game.
His sophomore season he started all 13 games finishing with 3,543 yards passing, 30 passing touchdowns to just nine interceptions, and had over 1,500 yards rushing with 21 touchdowns – absolutely phenomenal. That year he also set several school records such as eight touchdowns in the first half against the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Also, that year he was selected as the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner becoming the first Louisville player to ever win the Heisman and the youngest to ever win the award.
His junior year, everyone was sold on the fact that Jackson was special and elite. Again, he put up excellent statistics finishing the season with 3,660 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, 1,601 rushing yards, and 18 rushing touchdowns. Jackson was named as a Heisman finalist yet again in 2017, but lost to Baker Mayfield.
When Jackson was drafted by the Ravens, he was the backup to Super Bowl winning quarterback, Joe Flacco. When Flacco went down with a hip injury week nine against Pittsburgh, Jackson stepped in to take over the starting role.
When Jackson took over week 11 he finished the Ravens season 6-1, with big wins over the Falcons and the Chargers which clinched the Ravens a playoff berth. Unfortunately, the Ravens lost a close wild card game to the Chargers 17-23. However, this end of the season run by Jackson prefaced his true potential.
The Ravens schedule for 2019 is ranked #20 on the most difficult in the league, which is a pretty fair schedule. Their three toughest games will be against the Chiefs in week three, the Patriots in week nine, and the Rams in week 12. Jackson should be equipped to deal with the adversity. He proved last year that he can compete with and beat veteran quarterbacks such as Phillip Rivers and Matt Ryan. Not to mention, the Ravens almost beat the power house Kansas City Chiefs last year in week 14 losing 23-24.
The Ravens also have some experienced players on their offense to help Jackson out. For example, the Ravens have wide receiver, Willie Snead, who finished last season with over 650 yards. Snead was an excellent wide out for the Saints from 2015-2017 finishing with close to 1,000 yards each season.
Also, the Ravens signed veteran running back, Mark Ingram, to a three-year deal in 2019. Ingram had a fantastic run with the Saints averaging 4.5 yards per carry and he put up over 1,000 rushing yards in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Not to mention, Ingram is also a Heisman trophy winner like Jackson. When Jackson took over in week 11 last season, the Ravens started passing the ball 38% less which is good news for Ingram.
Overall, Jackson will have a breakout sophomore season and prove to the NFL that he is elite and can win a championship. He is a dual threat quarterback: he can both pass and run exceptionally well, he has offensive weapons like Snead and Ingram, and the Ravens have a fairly easy schedule for next season. With Flacco signing with the Denver Broncos, this is officially Jackson’s team. I predict that the Ravens will finish the season 12 – 4 and will win the AFC North yet again.
Week by Week Predictions for the Baltimore Ravens:
Week 1: Sept. 8 at Miami Dolphins – WIN 27 – 10
Week 2: Sept. 15 vs. Arizona Cardinals – WIN 30 – 14
Week 3: Sept. 22 at Kansas City Chiefs – LOSS 31 – 17
Week 4: Sept. 29 vs. Cleveland Browns – WIN 20 – 17
Week 5: Oct. 6 at Pittsburgh Steelers – LOSS 24 – 10
Week 6: Oct. 13 vs. Cincinnati Bengals – WIN 23 – 7
Week 7: Oct. 20 at Seattle Seahawks – WIN 28 – 14
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: Nov. 3 vs. New England Patriots – LOSS 28 – 14
Week 10: Nov. 10 at Cincinnati Bengals – WIN 20 – 13
Week 11: Nov. 17 vs. Houston Texans – WIN 33 – 17
Week 12: Nov. 25 at Los Angeles Rams – WIN 14 – 10
Week 13: Dec. 1 vs. San Francisco 49ers – WIN 20 – 17
Week 14: Dec. 8 at Buffalo Bills – WIN 24 – 10
Week 15: Dec. 12 vs. New York Jets – WIN 30 – 3
Week 16: Dec. 22 at Cleveland Browns – LOSS 24 – 14
Week 17: Dec. 29 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – WIN 33 – 21
BELLE OF THE (FOOT)BALL 