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Greg Auman
NFC South Reporter
The Chiefs defense and coordinator Steve Spagnuolo know well the challenge of containing Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Kansas City faced him four years in a row from 2018-21, winning the first three and then losing a thriller in 2021. But in the two-plus years since the Chiefs last faced him, Jackson has added to what makes him so dangerous.
“Everybody has talked about his running, but you can see how he’s developed as a passer,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said Wednesday. “Throwing from within the pocket, arm angles, making the accurate throw in big situations and big moments — that’s what the great quarterbacks do. He continues to get better and better every single year.”
Jackson, 27, is in line to win his second career NFL MVP, leading the Ravens to the AFC’s No. 1 seed, which is why Sunday’s conference championship game is being played in Baltimore after five straight years in Kansas City. Jackson led the Ravens in rushing for a fifth year in a row — only four running backs can even boast that — and the challenge he presents starts with the threat of him taking off.
“Lamar’s athleticism is second to none,” Chiefs safety Justin Reid said this week. “His strength, his power, the way that he’s able to run the ball, his speed to get around the edge and be able to get north and south, all of those things are a big challenge for us. We’re going to have to … try to contain him in the pocket as much as we can to make sure that we get him on the ground in those times that he does run.
“He can still make all of the throws like everybody else.”
The growth of Jackson’s passing game this year has added another level of difficulty for opponents. How has he changed with Todd Monken taking over as offensive coordinator this season? Jackson has had some of the best passing numbers of his seven-year NFL career. He set career highs in passing yards (3,678), completion percentage…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/why-ravens-qb-lamar-jackson-will-be-a-huge-challenge-for-chiefs-defense
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Publish date : 2024-01-25 16:10:49
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