ExtremeRavens Posted August 5 Posted August 5 Lamar Jackson scrambled to his right and away from the Indianapolis Colts’ pass rush, surveyed the field in front of him and in a flick the ball was gone. The Ravens quarterback committed the typically unforgivable sin of throwing across his body and back into the middle of the field. Except this was vintage Jackson, with a leaping Rashod Bateman on the receiving end on an open patch of grass. Other than a benches-clearing brawl that broke out during a punt drill and resulted in Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins and Colts running back Tyler Goodson getting ejected, it was the highlight of a sometimes-up, occasionally-down joint practice for Baltimore’s offense against the Colts on Tuesday afternoon in Owings Mills. It was also as close as Jackson and most of the first-team players will come to seeing full-speed, live action against an opponent before the start of the regular season, with coach John Harbaugh having already said that they won’t play in Thursday night’s preseason opener for both teams at M&T Bank Stadium. “I wouldn’t say [training camp is] boring,” Jackson said of the joint practice. “Just competing another team instead of going against our guys all the time, your competitive side kicks in a little bit more. “We get to see different looks from different guys, different types of coverages, see how different guys guard different people, see different blitzes. We get a lot out of these joint practices.” How did Jackson and the offense fare? “Our offense, there’s always room for improvement,” said the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player who is coming off career highs in touchdown passes (41) and passing yards (4,172). “In camp, we have good days, we have bad days, we have OK days, we have great days. “We’re right where we need to be right now.” As Harbaugh said, “You’re looking at the details, really. You’re not looking at the outcome.” The Sistine Chapel wasn’t painted in a day, after all. And Baltimore’s offense, as deep and talented as it perhaps has ever been in the franchise’s 30 years of existence, is still a work in progress, which was evident against a Colts defense that should be improved under new coordinator Lou Anarumo. Anarumo is a familiar foe for Jackson. He was the Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2024, and the two men had a brief chat about their past battles at one point Tuesday. “He was telling me he glad he don’t have to face me twice a year anymore,” Jackson cracked. Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jahmal Banks turns upfield during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews walks during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens tight end Baylor Cupp throws the ball in front of tight end Scotty Washington during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Devontez Walker turns upfield during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens cornerback T.J. Tampa and safety Keondre Jackson collide during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Xavier Guillory turns upfield during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey and safety Sanoussi Kane collide during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry runs through an obstacle during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens running back Rasheen Ali gets hit while navigating an obstacle course during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Show Caption1 of 10Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jahmal Banks turns upfield during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Expand Their most recent showdown had its highs and lows for Jackson and what was the league’s top offense in just about every metric last season and returns intact, if not improved. On the upside was the performance of the tight ends. With Isaiah Likely watching from a doorway leading to the team’s locker room as he recovers from surgery to repair a fractured bone in his foot, Charlie Kolar and Mark Andrews provided a sigh of relief and were the most efficient recipients of Jackson’s passes. Kolar, in the final year of his rookie contract, hauled in one sideline fade from Jackson then rumbled about 50 yards. He also had a touchdown during a red zone period and held on for a tough 20-yard catch over the middle as he got popped on another play. Andrews, long Jackson’s security blanket and in the final year of his contract, looked the part, too. He had a couple of catches early in 11-on-11 periods, then hauled in a pair of touchdowns in two different red zone periods — including one in which Jackson rolled right, pump-faked, then fired into a tight window to the eighth-year vet in the end zone. “Charlie’s getting a great feel for the game,” Jackson said of the Kolar, now in his fourth year. “Looking like a little Mark and Isaiah out there, in his own way.” One of the more intriguing receivers at Jackson’s disposal has been free agent addition DeAndre Hopkins. The two have connected on several plays through the first two-plus weeks of training camp and did so a couple of times Tuesday, including on a nice back shoulder pass during a seven-on-seven period. However, Hopkins also had an uncharacteristic drop on one play and the two had a miscommunication. “I feel like we’re getting better,” Jackson said. “I messed up one time. I didn’t think he seen me on a route I gave him. He did see me.” It wasn’t the only mistake by Jackson. In his final two-minute period, the quarterback tried to throw back against his body again, this time for second-year receiver Dayton Wade, but was easily intercepted by safety Hunter Wohler. It was one of two for the seventh-round rookie, who also had an interception of backup quarterback Cooper Rush in the two-minute period. Jackson also misfired on a few deep passes, including one intended for Bateman, though coverage was also tight. Other times, he had nowhere to go with the ball and took a sack on at least a couple of occasions. The Colts also blew up a few plays before they could develop, forcing Jackson to throw the ball into the dirt. Still, he looked like his old self at times, including on one long run in which he raced deep into the secondary. Asked if he’s as fast as he’s ever been, Jackson said, “absolutely.” “I been saying that except when I was a little bulky, that’s why I had to get that weight off,” he said. “But I feel good. I feel like I did my rookie year speed-wise, mobility-wise. I feel great.” 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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