Weekly Moment of Truth for Ravens Fans
submitted by Michael Hickey (@hickeym6)
First of all, if you clicked this link looking for an X’s and O’s analysis of Week 1’s game you’ve come to the wrong place. This site is full of talented people who can try to explain all that stuff (here’s an example). I’m like the Jerry Springer meets Dr. Phil of the Ravens fan base. I’ll either agree with you, prove to you I’m right, or agree to disagree. Now let’s get started.
Well… Well… Well… Lamar Jackson has gotten a little bit better. Week 1 Jackson ran three times for six yards which is terrible for a starting running back. Guess what? He’s a quarterback, and threw for 324 yards, five touchdowns, no interceptions, and no fumbles.
Yet, Monday morning I see people scraping the bottom of the barrel for reasons to discredit his performance. It’s the same people who acted like he couldn’t even complete a pass.Â
So what’s next for Jackson? Next week he will face off with Kyler Murray. I expect the Ravens offense to continue its hot start but the stats may look a lot different. The Cardinals have a strong pass rush with our old friend Terrell Suggs, and Chandler Jones on the opposite side. It’s a great early test for Ronnie Stanley and Orlando Brown, Jr. Jackson is going to run more in this one and it will put more nightmares on tape for opposing defensive coordinators.
Last week went a little too good, right? This week I think you will see more possession catches from Seth Roberts and Chris Moore. You can’t live off big plays like that every week, can you? I think each week we will see more of Miles Boykin and Marquise Brown as they ease in the high-ceiling rookies.
This offense is #1 in the league and just scratching the surface.
And here’s my Jerry Springer meets Dr. Phil moment of the week. The Joe Flacco vs. Lamar Jackson fans. Yes, I’m going there because you all need an intervention. Flacco’s legacy is cemented in history. He helped the Ravens win a lot of games, contend for the playoffs year after year, and was a Super Bowl MVP. He had a very successful career with the Ravens. Some of you are so obsessed with how it could’ve been better, you don’t appreciate how hard it is to accomplish what they did with Flacco. It’s a new era and it’s time to root for Flacco’s successor, Jackson. What has he done for you not to want to see him carry on the tradition like Suggs did when Ray Lewis and Ed Reed retired? He’s a good young kid, works hard, and is a great teammate. When they have lost, he shoulders the blame. When they win, he credits his teammates. Would you prefer Big Ben or Baker Mayfield? Self-centered, entitled guys? Jackson is obsessed with bringing Super Bowl wins to our city.
Let’s get behind him, he wants to be the next great Raven.
I always like to close with a prediction. If no money is on the table, I have nothing to lose. The Ravens defense, led by Earl Thomas will shine against the rookie Murray. Wink will dial up pressure to disrupt Murray’s accuracy on short passes. On offense the Ravens will run right at the Cardinals. This will be effective and Baltimore will control the game by keeping the Cardinals offense off the field. I also expect Jackson to continue being efficient in the passing game, setting up a big time showdown Week 3 against the Chiefs.
