The Baltimore Ravens looked unstoppable. The team went 14-2 during regular season and had the best record in the entire league. They won 12 straight. They clinched homefield advantage with a first round bye. Some say it was Baltimore’s best team ever. Lamar Jackson took the league by storm. He was like John Rambo, a one man army just putting up video game numbers and destroying the competition. Destined to be this year’s MVP, Lamar Jackson wanted to go further and bring his team to the Superbowl and win it all. On Saturday the league caught up to Lamar Jackson. The Tennessee Titans exposed a few weaknesses in Jackson’s game. These are some big reasons why the Running Man quarterback self destructed.

The first thing I noticed on Saturday about Lamar Jackson is the man’s psyche. The first interception he threw out of the gates he got so pissed off and tried to rip the Titans defender’s head off on the tackle. It did not look like a bad pass as it went through the receiver’s fingers and then fell into the defenders  arms. Perhaps last year’s playoff game memory has entered the young quarterback’s head right then and there. The Chargers ousted the Ravens last season in round one with ease. Then to show your frustration on the tackle and get flagged for it that early in the game with no score. Obviously it’s a 15 yard penalty but your teammates have to scratch their heads and think is this our leader. Quarterback in football is the most important position on the field for your team. They handled the ball on every play. Most times the team will go as far as the quarterback can bring them. You need skills to play quarterback. The biggest thing is if you make the other ten guys believe you in the huddle, they will run through walls for you.

Running quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson that rely mostly on their legs instead of their arms do not last that long in the league. Mostly because they can hit a lot more than the quarterbacks that stay in the pocket. Especially guys that have the good pocket awareness or a quick release. Lamar Jackson likes to take off. He is a young guy. He has plays designed for him to take off. Lamar Jackson made defenders look foolish all year with his highlight reel weaving through defenses for big runs. Many touchdowns. The Titans defense filled the gaps on Lamar Jackson on Saturday. They had a spy as well. Most of the game Jackson was running lateral instead of North and South. The Titans contained him most of the game. The Titans did give up some big chunks of yards to Jackson as he ran for 143 yards. Many of those yards were too late and the damage was already done.

The Ravens won most of their games this season when they had a lead and kept building on it. That way the defense could mostly attack the passing game of the opponent trying to get back into the game. Saturday the Titans built a lead on the Ravens. Lamar Jackson had to use his arm to get back in the game. Titans turned the tables on the Ravens. Ravens looked like a complete different team trailing. Lamar Jackson threw the ball 59 times. He then had  Phillip Rivers numbers 365 yards two interceptions and fumbled one time. That is good for a 63.2 quarterback rating if you’re keeping track at home.

Some will say the Ravens do not have good receivers. Did not hear that when the Ravens won twelve in a row. In 2018 the Ravens Receiving group was different than in the 2019 regular season. Wide Receivers left Baltimore because the Ravens were going to be the majority of time a running team. Plus Lamar Jackson lacks arm strength. The Titans exposed this on Saturday as Lamar Jackson could not put the ball outside the numbers. Sideline passes had no zip on them. Plus Jackson’s inaccuracy on simple short hitch routes. His comfort zone is the middle of the field which the Titans took that away from him.

The league always catches up with the running first quarterbacks. Mike Vick, RGIII, and some say the great Colin Kaepernick with their blinders on were such talented quarterbacks. At one point these guys were all electric. The league caught up to all of them.  All of them took too much punishment by running. All of them lacked the arm strength to make all the throws on a football field. Defenses knew that and keyed on that and challenged them to beat them with their arm. Lamar Jackson can improve his arm strength. Can he improve his accuracy? He is one hit away that could derail his football career. All quarterbacks are one hit away from derailment.  The Ravens will not lead in every game to make his job easier. He will have to learn how to throw the ball in the pocket. He will have to make all the throws to keep defenses on their toes. Plus he will have to put things behind him. Forget about the last throw. If not he will be another running quarterback that will live through a small window of a myth on how they were the best by some. Look at the Colin Kaepernick believers. By most though he will be just another guy that did not have all the tools to be the man behind center.