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Although he is not a classic NFL quarterback, Lamar Jackson proved he was already a unique force.
The Ravens could not have boldly declared their new era – 11 games, 11 points, 75 yards, touchdown.
Baltimore fans have been waiting since April for Jackson to go wild. He was not disappointed, totaling five times 46 yards in his first training as a NFL starter and finishing with 117 yards rushing, almost twice the previous franchise record.
He was certainly not perfect, throwing an interception that was spinning at all times and seeming uncomfortable sometimes when he had to fall back into obvious situations.
But the overall figures told a decisive story. Under Jackson's command instead of injured Joe Flacco, the Ravens beat the Bengals by 148 yards, collected eight more tries than their opponent and controlled the ball for more than 38 of the match's 60 minutes.
Jackson immediately offended the Ravens, not only with his own bags but with the space he created for the halfbacks Alex Collins and Gus Edwards. They ran 54 times and launched 19.
We simply do not see teams – even those with efficient runners at quarter – playing this way in the modern NFL.
"It's like dealing with two different fouls," said Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict after the match. "With Joe Flacco, he just stands back and is not very mobile, but he throws the ball very hard. [Jackson] is very unpredictable. "
There are some caveats.
First, Jackson made his statement against the most porous defense of the NFL.
Secondly, it's hard to imagine a Jackson-run offense that works in the long run without a larger downstream component. When the Ravens fell behind in the second half, receiver receivers Willie Snead IV and Michael Crabtree expressed frustration at the lack of hits. After the match, Ravens coach John Harbaugh pointed out that the Ravens would launch more in the coming weeks.
So, it's not as if Sunday's approach was the new norm.
Then there was the interception. In the first half of the second half, Jackson blocked Bengals defensive back Carlos Dunlap before dropping his pass directly into the hands of the Bengals' safety team, Shawn Williams.
The play summed up the best and worst of the rookie quarter – a quick cash flow followed immediately by embarrassment from a successful NFL reading. But it would be wrong to say that the interception was a microcosm of his time.
Jackson played brilliantly, moved the offensive and even made some fantastic shots, including a 19-yard shot at Mark Andrews to convert to the third and long end in the fourth quarter.
Ravens safety Eric Weddle was particularly impressed by the way Jackson bounced after the interception.
"What did he do on the next record?" He fell and scored, "Weddle said. "It was as if nothing had happened. And you can not teach that. … His physical capacity, we see him every day. So I was waiting for it. But to overcome adversity at the very beginning of his first start … I think his calm, we are all excited for him. "
Linebacker C.J. Mosley said that it would be extremely frustrating to play against Jackson. "He is so fast that you can call the right call, be in the right place and he will be ahead of the defense," he said. "I'm really happy to be a Raven today because he played everywhere."
It sums up perfectly. The Ravens did not become magical Sunday, but no defense will want to face with Jackson at the quarterback. Because in a league defined by the routine, it is unique.
The Ravens reaffirmed their defense by focusing on the short passage.
They recognized that they had already seen the Bengals lining up for a fourth attempt in less than two minutes. Facing a similar situation in December, the Ravens saw their season tumble in the face of an excruciating tug of Tyler Boyd, catcher of Cincinnati.
This time, however, the Bengals quarterback, Andy Dalton, seemed concise and right in front of another receiver, Cody Core. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey grabbed the ball and fell to the ground, leaving the Ravens behind the clock.
It was normal that the game boils down to defending a short pass because the Ravens have been focusing on such games all week long.
"It was one of the highlights of this week: trying to get in the mix to disrupt the timing and spoil the receiver and quarterback," said Humphrey.
The Ravens knew exactly how Dalton would attack them. He beat them with quick throws underneath in the second week. Other offenses have done the same in their recent series of three losses.
Humphrey, Jimmy Smith and Brandon Carr have stated that they should face tight and aggressive coverage outside the line of scrimmage. Overall, they succeeded, forcing Dalton to complete 19 attempts in 36 attempts and maintaining the Cincinnati offensive.
Linebackers also gave a helping hand, often going through a shallow blanket to complete high school.
It was not the irresistible defense of the Ravens that we saw in Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans. They sacked Dalton once and went on for four more quarters without a carry. But they played the right game to complete Jackson's ball control attack.
Gus Edwards appeared as the perfect counterpoint to Lamar Jackson.
With 115 yards against the Bengals, Edwards nearly doubled his previous career total of 64. The afternoon belonged to Rutgers' un-drawn rookie, almost as much as the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner who took him handed the ball.
Edwards impressed the Ravens coaches and fans with his aggressive pre-season run. And it turned out that his straight styling blended perfectly with Jackson's multidirectional slip.
The Bengals focused on what Jackson could do afterwards, Edwards tore right into the defensive belly.
"Gus was north and south," said Harbaugh admiringly. "Definitely a good complement, but not the only complement. But to give us this type of feedback is very important. It makes us what we probably did not get earlier in the year. "
The Ravens coaches have said all year round that Jackson's impact as a rider starts only with the yards he earns himself. He sets the table for each other ball carrier. Edwards was the main beneficiary on Sunday, but Alex Collins (seven races) could just as easily have been this guy next weekend.
The defensive linemen from inside the Ravens have excelled all season.
With A.J. Green inactive due to a toe injury, the Ravens had to worry about the two main offensive threats to Cincinnati – Boyd and the attacking midfielder Joe Mixon.
They played well against the first and completely closed last, limiting Mixon to 14 yards in 12 races – which is without a doubt his worst performance of the season.
Much of the credit goes to a group we often take for granted – the inner defensive line of Michael Pierce, Brandon Williams, Brent Urban and Chris Wormley.
None of them has done much to score the statistics sheet. But watch Pro Football Focus's scouting notes every week and rate them all as strong defenders (Wormley) to outstanding defensemen (Pierce).
They left little room for maneuver in Mixon and left their mark on another game, whether they noticed it or not.
The Ravens saved their season and set up a potentially scary decision at the quarterback.
Harbaugh said after the game that Flacco would probably not recover from his hip injury in time to face the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.
But an ESPN report Sunday morning announced that Flacco would probably be ready in a few weeks. If the Ravens continue to win with Jackson (they are favored against the 2-8 Raiders), would they automatically return the ball to their veteran? Would they push Jackson back into the complementary role (though probably expanded) that we saw in the first nine games?
These are truly difficult issues on many levels.
Jackson led the Ravens to a victory that took them from the abyss and led them into a five-way tie for the final place in the AFC wild card. He shook the offensive and the crowd at M & T Bank Stadium. He is the future, one way or another, and there is a lot to say to test what he can do in series.
For his part, Flacco commands the respect of his coaches and his teammates – for his hardness and for the many victories he won in December and January. His big arm could give the Ravens the best chance of defeating more powerful defenses.
It is assumed that Flacco will start another game for the Ravens this year. But that should not be an automatic decision. If it hurts and Jackson is offensive, the Ravens must be flexible enough to go with what works.
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