Ravens QB Lamar Jackson says opposing defenses are “calling out our plays”

Last season the Baltimore Ravens had the most explosive and potent offense in the entire league. They finished first in scoring and rushing yards as well as points and rushing yards per game.

A big reason that they were able to finish first among those statistical categories and break so many records along the way was in large part because their revolutionary run-based offense was so unpredictable and kept opposing defense off balance with their multiple looks and formations that never tipped their hand on whether a given play was a run or a pass.

Through their first eight games this year, Baltimore isn’t nearly as dynamic or explosive and while they are still leading the league in rushing yards per game and ground yards total, the offense hasn’t resembled the same seemingly unstoppable juggernaut that ripped of 12 straight wins to close the 2019 regular season.

According to reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson, a reason for the drop off in the offense’s consistency and efficiency is that they have become too predictable.

He appeared on the “Rich Eisen Show” on Wednesday and said that opposing defenses know what is about to happen before the ball is even snapped.

“They’re calling out our plays, stuff like that,” Jackson said. “They know what we’re doing. Sometimes stuff won’t go our way if they’re beating us to the punch.”

When asked if opposing defenders are actually calling out their plays, Jackson doubled down.

“Yeah, they definitely do,” Jackson said. “Like, ‘run’ and stuff like that. ‘Watch out for this, watch out for that.’ Sometimes that’s what’s going on.”

Whenever a team unveils and unleashes a revolutionary record-breaking offense, opposing defensive coordinators across the league and especially those in that team’s division or slated to play them the following year, spend a large chunk of the offseason studying that offense and scheming up game plans to combat or at least limit what they do best.

While the Ravens are still a dominant rushing team, their passing game has been an area where they have struggled to find their footing and be consistent at.

In two divisional games this year, defenders from the opposing team talked about how they were able to adversely affect the Ravens offense and limit Jackson specifically.

In the Ravens 27-3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Jackson and the offense enjoyed an explosive 17-point first quarter but were limited to just field goal in the final three quarters.

Jackson wasn’t able to gash the Bengals’ defense with his legs like he had grown accustomed to doing and was held to his lowest rushing total of career since being elevated to the starter with just three yards on two carries.

Not only was he mostly held under wraps for three-fourths of the game but his top two targets in the passing game, wide receiver Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown and tight Mark Andrews were put under lock and key for the most part as well in the final 45 minutes.

After catching a touchdown apiece in the opening period, they were limited to a combined 73 yards and six catches on 10 targets and were held out of the endzone in the final three.

After the game Bengals’ safety Jesse Bates was asked about how they were able to put the clamps on Jackson and the Ravens offense after struggling to do so in the first quarter.

“It’s just as simple as not letting him get the ball,” said Bates. “We know where Lamar wants to go; either ’15′[Brown] or ’89′[Andrews]. It showed up today as well. That’s all he was really throwing to, was’15’or’89.’We didn’t make the plays where it was at that point in time.”

Against the Ravens’ archrival Pittsburgh Steelers in Week Eight, Jackson’s four turnovers, two of which were fumbles and the other two came via interceptions, all but sealed their fate in a 28-24 loss.

His first interception gave the Steelers their first lead and the first points of the game. His second interception came on his first passing attempt of the second half when Pittsburgh rookie outside linebacker Alex Highsmith fell right under a pass on the left boundary.

He too mentioned the predictability in the Ravens play selection as the reason why he was tipped off to where the ball was going.

“I knew when that play started, they were coming back to that because they ran the same play on the first half, and I didn’t drop deep enough,” Highsmith said at the time, via ESPN. “So, I learned from that play and just dropped deeper. … the ball just fell into my hands.”

The fact that the Ravens currently sit at 6-2 and have still managed to score an NFL record of at least 20 or more points in 31 straight games still suggests that they are doing something right on that side of the ball predictable or not.

However, the most impressive thing about last year’s record-setting offense wasn’t unpredictability or all the motioning they used to set up blocks, dictate, and reveal coverage.

It was the fact that when the Ravens wanted to run off nearly an entire quarter of clock by keeping the ball on the ground almost exclusively, they could and they did.

Even when you knew what was coming and had players in position to best defend the run, it didn’t matter because they were going to pound the rock and run the ball down the opposing defense’s throat regardless.

While the Ravens were able to return all but one starter from last year’s offensive unit as well as the mastermind behind their one-of-a-kind rushing attack in offensive coordinator Greg Roman, not having future Hall of Famer Marshal Yanda at right guard has taken a greater toll on their ability to be the bullies upfront that they were for most of last season.

Even though Marshal’ retirement doesn’t have anything to do with the offense being predictable, not being able to own the line of scrimmage and assert their will on opposing defensive fronts consistently has been the bigger reason for their drop off on offense more than defenders knowing that a running team is going to run the ball early and often.

I’m not saying Roman and the Ravens don’t need to mix things up in order to find more offensive consistency and keep defenses that they will face down the stretch and in the playoffs on their toes.

However, with a reshuffled offensive line that will be without stalwart left tackle Ronnie Stanley for the remainder of the season, perhaps being a little predictable at something their clearly good at, which is running the ball, while ironing out the kinks in the passing game isn’t such a bad idea for the time being.