The Ravens owned the most potent offense in 2019, producing 6.1 yards per play while posting 31.4 points per game during the regular season. Quarterback Lamar Jackson had a lot to do with those marks, winning the MVP award for his playmaking ability.
So far in the 2020 season, however, Baltimore’s vaunted offense has taken a step back. Now it’s just a middle-of-the-road squad, with its 347 yards per game resting at No. 23 in the league while the offense scores on average 6.6 fewer points each game.
To Jackson, who appeared on the Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday, much of the decline comes down to defenses knowing what to expect before the ball is even snapped.
“I feel it’s a lot [about] schemes. We’re going against defenses, they’re calling out our plays, stuff like that,” Jackson said. “They know what we’re doing. Sometimes stuff won’t go our way if they’re beating us to the punch.”
Not much has changed on the offensive side of the ball for Baltimore. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman is still in charge, and besides guard Marshal Yanda — who retired this offseason — the team returned all of its offensive starters.
Still, Jackson was adamant that defenses have a good idea of what’s coming.
“Yeah, they definitely do,” Jackson said. “Like, ’run’ and stuff like that. ’Watch out for this, watch out for that.’ Sometimes that’s what’s going on.”
Doug Gottlieb, a Fox Sports Radio host, said on his show Wednesday that Jackson wrongly shifted blame onto his offensive coordinator.
“Whatever frustrations you have with the offense, keep it with the offense,” Gottlieb said. “Because what you just did was, you just started up a Mack truck, and took your offensive coordinator Greg Roman — who helped build you and build that offense into one in which you won an MVP in the National Football League — and you threw him under the bus. And then you backed the bus up, and ran over him again.”
Jackson led the league last season with 36 passing touchdowns to go along with his seven rushing scores. As part of a run-first offense, it wasn’t shocking that he only ranked 22nd in passing yards with 3,127.
Baltimore is still very much a run-first offense this year, but Jackson is lagging behind his pace last season. He’s 27th in the league with 1,513 passing yards, and his 12 passing touchdowns has him tied for 19th — and far behind Russel Wilson’s league-high 28 scores.
Even with the offensive downturn, the Ravens are in a strong position to reach the playoffs, currently with a 6-2 record. They’re in a strong AFC North division, battling with an 8-0 Steelers outfit and 5-3 Browns team.
“We had our ups that first week and then we had our downs,” Jackson said. “Usually we’re a high-level offense. But it’s been all right. It’s not where we want to be. We’re still winning, so it’s all right, I guess.”
• Andy Kostka can be reached at akostka@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.