Lamar Jackson had a perfect homecoming in the Ravens' 59-10 road rout of the Dolphins — and his (so far) career best performance had everything to do with his passing.
Jackson produced maximum efficiency with his arm (17 for 20, 324 yards, 16.8 yards per attempt, five touchdowns, 158.3 rating) without needing anything from his legs (three rushes, 6 yards). For those who still want to doubt his ability to throw the ball effectively in the NFL, they might point to the ease of the matchup against Miami's defense.
The reality is, the ceiling Jackson hit as a passer was less a fluke and a product of design. What should scare the rest of the NFL is that the game also showed how his high floor is.
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Baltimore's coaching staff did a masterful job adjusting to Jackson's run-first tendencies as a rookie. The changes added up to a strong finish to the season and another division title under coach John Harbaugh.
There's no doubt the Ravens have upped the ante in Year 2 by tailoring their scheme and personnel to Jackson's expected evolution. Greg Roman, who once helped Colin Kaepernick and Tyrod Taylor spike as deep-throwing dual threats, is at it again as offensive coordinator.
The Dolphins are bad at most every position on both sides of the ball, with the exception of shutdown cornerback Xavien Howard and versatile nickelback Minkah Fitzpatrick. Jackson, therefore, didn't get lucky when he set an early tone with two long touchdown passes (47 and 83 yards) to rookie first-round wide receiver Marquise Brown in the first quarter. Jackson just took advantage of what will cause problems for opposing defenses all season
Between an improved traditional running game behind a stronger offensive line — with Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards and rookie Justice Hill all providing different speeds and styles — and the threat of Jackson's intentional or impromptu running, the Ravens are better equipped to attack secondaries that can't freely commit safeties to coverage help. Both Brown and rookie third-rounder Miles Boykin can fly on the outside. Slot receiver Willie Snead and athletic tight end Mark Andrews, who also scored, add another dimension on intermediate inside routes.
It is probably true that of all the teams in the NFL, Miami, with the league's worst front seven, will end up providing the least resistance to that game plan, but other than completing three more passes, Jackson couldn't have executed any better had he been throwing into a player-less void.
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You can bet the Ravens used the game to make a statement with Jackson, beyond wanting to give him a very happy return to South Florida. Cleveland's Baker Mayfield has led the second-year QB hype, and both Sam Darnold and Josh Allen have gotten their share in New York and Buffalo, respectively.
They all faced much better defenses on Sunday, but they also made their share of unforced errors as the Browns, Jets and Bills combined for just 46 points in their games. Jackson is the only of these four first-round QBs from the 2018 draft class who has the confidence that comes from helping get a team to the playoffs — and the ability to learn from a playoff loss.
In his previous game, Jackson was sacked seven times as the Chargers' defense contained his running and dared him to throw deep. He got happy feet and was flustered in the pocket.
In contrast, Jackson looked like a a seasoned pocket passer on Sunday. The Ravens played it right with Jackson last year by leaning on his running skills and limiting his passing, because they could afford to with their defense. This year, after suffering key losses on that side of the ball, they needed to compensate by tapping more into his explosive scoring potential.
Harbaugh's brother Jim used the same concepts with Roman and Kaepernick in San Francisco to get to a Super Bowl against John's Ravens. Jackson has better coordinating and head coaching than do Mayfield, Darnold or Allen.
Jackson won't be cooling off in Week 2, either, with the Patrick Peterson-less Cardinals next. Then he'll go to work opposite Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs and duel with Mayfield in Week 4. After having dumped on an AFC doormat, the Ravens can quickly rev up as a true AFC power.
The Ravens couldn't have hand-picked a better opponent to roll Jackson into his new groove. After that type of warmup, they should be feeling that he will keep bringing the heat all season.
