ExtremeRavens Posted December 11 Posted December 11 Lamar Jackson couldn’t stand still. The Ravens quarterback kept fidgeting back and forth. He was energetic and engaged, but mostly he was restless Wednesday afternoon in Owings Mills. “You see me? I’m antsy right now,” he said, motioning toward his feet shifting back and forth with the anticipation of someone who needed to go to find a bathroom. “I’m hype.” And eager to turn around an offense that, while still No. 1 in the NFL in yards per game (422.5) and third in points per game (29.5), has somewhat sputtered of late with 19 points against the Philadelphia Eagles and 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, both losses. Against Pittsburgh, Jackson completed just 16 of 33 passes for 207 yards with one touchdown and one interception and was sacked twice. Against Philadelphia, he completed 23 of 36 passes for 237 yards with two touchdowns, was sacked three times, fumbled twice and lamented not running more often when the opportunity presented itself. In that loss to the Eagles, the Ravens went 10 straight possessions without finding the end zone and managed just three points in that span after taking a 9-0 first-quarter lead. “Those type of games, we can’t have those,” Jackson said. “It won’t be a perfect game, but you gotta try to make it. “Gotta put points on the board. I feel like any game like that we gotta do that. It’s gonna be a slow game, it won’t be one of those high scoring games … nine times out of 10 it’s gonna be one of those low scoring games but you gotta find a way to win.” Yet, the bye week came at a necessary time for Baltimore. The Ravens had played 13 straight games, were getting thin along the defensive line and elsewhere because of injuries and lost two of their past three games — which could have easily been three of four if not for a wild, come-from-behind 35-34 victory over the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals. Jackson referred to the break as a “breath of fresh air.” He also said his body feels refreshed, after some niggling injuries resulted him missing some practice time earlier in the season. When he returned, the message was clear. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is eager to return to the win column after two losses in three games. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) “Lamar understands it’s about chasing perfection in the details in everything you do,” coach John Harbaugh said. “You’re not riding the roller coaster of outcomes.” Now, though, Baltimore will play three games in the span of 11 days, beginning Sunday against a hapless New York Giants (2-11) team that has lost eight straight, is without its star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, rookie safety Tyler Nubin and first-string quarterback Drew Lock, with Tommy DeVito starting in his place. Then comes a massively important AFC North showdown against the Steelers (10-3) at M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 21, with a Christmas Day tilt against the Texans in Houston to follow before wrapping up the season against the Cleveland Browns. Simply put, those four games will determine the Ravens’ playoff path and chances of making a deep run. It’s not lost on them. “Our approach is pedal to the metal, man,” Harbaugh said. “Kick this thing in gear, put your foot on the gas, put the gas pedal to the floor and let’s get locked in on everything that matters and see if we can drive as fast as we can as straight as we can to be as good as we can in this next game.” Which is why Jackson is still as fired up, he said, as he was after the loss to Philadelphia when he pounded the podium and cursed a mountain of missed opportunities. “I’m still fired up,” he said. “Nothing changed.” He wasn’t alone. Defensive tackle Broderick Washington broke down the team huddle at practice Wednesday and told teammates that “no one’s beaten us” and that “we beat ourselves.” “We took a little deep breath, took a step back, relaxed, got our mind locked in,” Jackson said. “I feel like we’re going to do what we need to do.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article Quote
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