- Lamar Jackson led the Ravens on an 11-play touchdown drive in his first drive as a starting quarterback.
- The Ravens moved the length of the field without a passing play, with Jackson rushing for 46 yards.
- Jackson still has plenty to prove, but the opening drive was evidence of how dangerous he could be with the right game plan.
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Lamar Jackson led the Ravens to a touchdown on his first drive as a starter without a single pass, and it's an early sign oh how his unique skills translate to the NFL
Lamar Jackson ran for 46 yards on his first drive as the Ravens starting quarterback, leading Baltimore to an opening touchdown against the Bengals.
Lamar Jackson made his first start for the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, and it didn't take long for the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner to get going.
With regular starter Joe Flacco out with a hip injury, Jackson's impact on the Ravens' game plan was immediately apparent, as Baltimore chose to start their opening drive with 11 straight rushing plays.
Jackson was the star of the show, carrying the ball five times for 46 yards and picking up three huge third-down conversions to keep the drive alive. The Ravens used a few read-option looks, with Jackson reading the Bengals defense and reacting accordingly, as well as several designed runs for their rookie quarterback.
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No matter how it happened, it was clear that Jackson had the green-light to go whenever he saw an opening.
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After 10 consecutive rushing plays to open the drive, running back Alex Collins capped it off with a seven-yard scamper into the end zone.
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The Ravens' commitment to and success with the run was a complete U-turn from their fortunes in their last game.
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lamar jackson rushed for 46... @ Mina Kimes
One drive, one game, or even one season is far too small a sample to make any grand judgments by, Jackson's opening drive success is promising for Ravens fans that hope he can be the future of the franchise.
Entering the draft, some questioned if Jackson had the necessary skills to play quarterback in the NFL. So far, Jackson has been used as a gadget-play specialist, splitting Flacco out wide and showing Jackson as a pass-run threat to leave defenses guessing.
While Jackson's opening drive didn't feature a pass, it showed that the big-play ability that made him one of the most electric players in college football hasn't left him.
Further, if Jackson can continue to prove a dangerous rusher, the mere threat of him taking off should open up his passing game on its own. When teams over-commit to containing him, he can step up and sling one deep.
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Jackson's career is still unwritten, and he still has a way to go before convincing his most-skeptic critics that his arm is NFL-ready. But if he can keep moving the ball and the Ravens commit to a game plan that plays to his strengths, there's no reason he couldn't be seen as one of the best quarterbacks of the 2018 draft class a few years down the road.
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