The Raiders defense will have to play fast Sunday. Defenders in silver and black will need to make quick decisions, close gaps and keep their eyes on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, or they could be in for a very long game.
The Raiders – who have had trouble all season stopping opposing ball carriers – are likely to face Jackson in his second NFL start. Jackson seems the likely starter with longtime No. 1 quarterback Joe Flacco still missing practice this week with a hip injury.
The rookie quarterback from Louisville showed outstanding talent in his debut in Baltimore’s most recent outing, a 24-21 victory over the Bengals. In that game Jackson completed 13-of-19 throws for 150 yards, no touchdowns and an interception, but it was his running skills that took down the Benglas. Jackson carried 26 times – the most by an NFL QB since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger – for 119 yards.
The 6-foot-2, 212-pounder, a former Heisman Trophy winner – is super quick, having run a 4.34 40-yard dash for pro scouts before the draft.
The Raiders defense, which ranks next to last in the league, giving up 142.3 yards per game on the ground and 4.8 yards per carry, hasn’t seen anything like Jackson this season.
“(He presents) a lot of challenges, just because you don’t know what plays they are running,” Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said this week. “I don’t recognize some of the plays they are running. You got to go back to Louisville and study him there. He’s got magnificent running ability. He’s going to get better and better the more he plays, and we got to respect his passing ability and these receivers. We know a lot about them.”
That receiving group includes wideout Michael Crabtree. The former Raider has 42 catches for 479 yards and two TDs this season.
Sports
Jackson says the Raiders better to pay as much attention to his arm as his feet.
“You know, hopefully, I’m going to start throwing the ball more,” he said. “The game plan that’s coming up, we’re going to be throwing the ball. You’ll see.”
The 2-8 Raiders are 10½-point underdogs to the 5-5 Ravens. Kickoff Sunday in Baltimore is set for 10 a.m. (Bay Area time).
