Ravens place all their chips on the table, name Lamar Jackson full-time QB

It’s official. Lamar Jackson will be the starting Quarterback moving forward for the Baltimore Ravens.

Heading into a week 10 bye, the Baltimore Ravens were sitting at 4-5 and coming off of a nasty three game losing streak that left their season up in the air. This is a team that just five years ago had won a Super Bowl and looked to be taking the next step into the NFL “elite,” before things came crashing down.

Since that Super Bowl win the Ravens have had just one season where they made the playoffs, which has caused a lot of talk about the team moving on from head coach John Harbaugh and veteran QB Joe Flacco.

After drafting Lamar Jackson this offseason that talk only grew louder and it was a matter of “when” not “if” Jackson would become the next QB for the Ravens.

After a strong preseason, Jackson spent most of the time on the sideline with a clipboard, taking in the NFL and trying to pick up the nuances of the Ravens offense, while playing decoy and even getting a few carries.

Then in week 11, Jackson finally got his chance to be the full-time QB.

You don’t need to be any sort of football expert to know that Lamar Jackson as the starting QB in Baltimore has worked well. While his passing still needs work, there is no denying that since taking over for Joe Flacco, who was forced out of the lineup due to injury, the Ravens have done what they weren’t doing before… Winning.

They did fall to one of the NFL’s best teams, the Kansas City Chiefs, this past weekend but it was the stellar play (particularly passing) that kept the Ravens in it all the way up until the end of overtime.

There had been a lot of talk and speculation that once long-time starter, Joe Flacco, was able to recover that he would once again resume the role of starting QB. However, we now know that won’t be the case.

Meeting with media on Wednesday morning, John Harbaugh started off by addressing the Raven’s QB situation.

"“Joe (Flacco) is fully healthy, ready to go, he’ll be a full participant in practice. He’ll be up for the game. The starting Quarterback will be Lamar (Jackson). Joe will be the #2 quarterback, and Robert Griffin will be the backup to those two guys. We’ll proceed with our game planning and play the game.”"

The move may come as a suprise to many (probably the LJ8 haters) but to most Louisville and Baltimore fans, this is no shock. Since taking over full-time in week 11, the Ravens have been one of the NFL’s most fun teams to watch, and one of the most productive.

The Ravens were known for having an offense which struggled to throw the ball and as the season went on struggled to establish the run game because of defenses singling in on Alex Collins and Buck Allen.

In four games as the starting QB, Lamar Jackson has combined for 600 passing yards (59% passing) with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Just like many harped on throughout the draft process, there have been plenty of questions about the ability of Jackson to throw the ball at the NFL level. He has shown flashes of being brilliant while also making several bad throws, struggling to make the proper reads, and taking bad sacks.

When it comes to running the ball, that’s where Jackson has had the most success. Running 67 times, Jackson has totaled 336 yards and two touchdowns. His speed has translated to the NFL level, and just like he was at Louisville, Jackson is typically the fastest and most athletic guy on the field.

With the Ravens currently holding on to the AFC’s second wild card position, Harbaugh has essentially tied his ship to Jackson, which so far has paid off. The Ravens have three games left against the Buccaneers, Chargers, and the Browns, and are just one game of tying Pittsburgh for the division lead in the AFC North.

Just like usual, Lamar Jackson said all of the right things today when talking to the media about the move.

Joe Flacco also spoke to the media for the first time since going out with the hip injury after week 10. He said:

"“I can’t say I was surprised. … Anything can happen in this league very quickly. It’s not easy standing on the sideline knowing you have no hand in what’s going on.”"

The Ravens have struggled mightily over the years, especially on the offensive end, which makes this a move that every Baltimore fan can get behind down the stretch. Question Lamar Jackson’s passing ability, or willingness to run even when it’s the best option all you want, but there’s no denying that what he’s brought to the field for the Ravens has changed the outlook of the season.

Don’t believe me, just ask star wide receiver Michael Crabtree.

The Ravens have a chance to finish this season up with a bang, and a lot of that will depend on the play of Lamar Jackson. It should be one hell of a ride!

Let the Jackson era begin!