Published 16:45 IST, January 11th 2020
Lamar Jackson's blitzkriegs forces opponents to think innovatively; can he be stopped?
Lamar Jackson ended the regular season with a 14-2 record, breaking multiple records alongside it. Few NFL teams have succeeded in stopping the MVP frontrunner.
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Baltimore Ravens ended regular season with a 14-2 record. Courtesy of ir exploits, one question me its way into minds of National Football League (NFL) teams across board. Is re a way to stop Lamar Jackson? answer to that question is one that NFL teams have failed to find just yet.
Lamar Jackson dominates NFL
Lamar Jackson stats section makes for an amazing re this season. In regular season, Lamar Jackson led league with 36 touchdown passes and finished with 1,206 yards. This was 662 yards more than any or quarterback in NFL. Before start of season, re was a common consensus that Baltimore Ravens h assembled a formidable team. However, few expected Baltimore Ravens to race to a 14-2 record by end of regular season. Even fewer fans expected Lamar Jackson to set NFL alight, breaking multiple records and terrorizing NFL defences along way.
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NFL teams' approach to stifling Lamar Jackson
Faced with a dilemma of combating a quarterback who was well on his way to reinventing way NFL sees tritional quarterbacks, NFL defences resorted to a number of gameplans in order to thwart MVP frontrunner. San Francisco 49ers were, perhaps, closest ones to stifling Baltimore Ravens star. During ir regular-season matchup in Baltimore, 49ers employed two linebackers over top, which n forced Lamar Jackson back inside. Once inside, or linebacker would n make tackle, in order to keep Jackson at bay. This strategy worked until Baltimore Ravens decided to switch play to or flank and make 49ers’ strategy null and void.
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Kansas City Chiefs n tried ir hand at stifling Jackson with a more invative approach. Chiefs plugged interior gaps with a three-man line. While effort was one worth applauding, Chiefs failed to take into account fact that Lamar Jackson h ability to outrun defensive backs.
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When Tennessee Titans visit Baltimore this weekend, Titans will have taken some cues from both se games. Titans could look to restrict Lamar Jackson’s vertical running by forcing him to go inward. This play could take Jackson’s fleet-footedness out of picture. However, likes of Harold Landry, Kamalei Correa, Derick Roberson and Reggie Gilbert are relatively inexperienced to make that strategy successful. Titans have top-ranked red-zone offense. If y were to somehow keep Ravens from being better team inside 20, Titans could very well cause an upset at M&T Bank Stium this weekend.
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16:45 IST, January 11th 2020