Lamar Jackson is one of the NFL's most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks, using the threat of his legs to keep defenses at bay.
Despite that advantage, all offseason, in the face of coach John Harbaugh preaching that the team would run the QB often, Jackson has suggested he'd like to run fewer times.
No one believed it.
This week the Baltimore Ravens quarterback took an even more empathic stance:
"I hate running," Jackson said, via ESPN. "Only if I have to, but my job is to get the ball to the receivers, the tight ends, running backs. If I have to run, I'll do it, but I'd rather just sit back and pass it. I like throwing touchdowns instead of running them."
Now that Jackson's passing has improved, he need not rely on his legs as much.
Through three games he's rushed 27 times, with 16 of those attempts coming in a single game. That still puts him on pace for 144 attempts for the season but is a far cry south of the pace he was on last season.
Jackson has shown he can maneuver the pocket and remain a passer, has displayed extreme strides on his deep-ball and outside-the-numbers accuracy and has moved through his progressions better. The improved passing doesn't mean he wants to get away from running completely.
"I only could run it. There was no one open," Jackson said when asked about his rushing TD last week versus Kansas City. "I had to make him miss. I'm one-on-one. I like my chances over anyone one-on-one."
The Ravens like his chances one-on-one as well. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman surely isn't going to negate the advantage Jackson's legs provide, but perhaps we won't see as many designed runs as anticipated.
Through three weeks, Jackson has the fourth-highest yards per attempt average in the NFL (8.6) and the fifth-highest passer rating (113.9) and has tossed seven TDs with zero INTs. So long as he remains an efficient passer, his legs can remain an asset without being the appendages that define his play.
