After taking over the starting job last season and running an offense that relied heavily on his legs, Lamar Jackson heard the people who said he was a running back and not a quarterback.
The Ravens insisted their offense would look different this season and that Jackson would show that he had the traditional skills needed to succeed as an NFL quarterback. The first look at that offense and Jackson’s role in it saw the quarterback complete 17-of-20 passes for 324 yards and five touchdowns before taking a seat on the bench for the final quarter of a 59-10 win over the Dolphins.
Jackson’s comments after the game referenced last year’s critics.
“Not bad for a running back,” Jackson said in his postgame press conference.
Jackson threw two of those touchdowns to rookie wide receiver Marquise Brown, who became the third player in history to score on each of his first two NFL catches. Jackson said he and Brown “didn’t really have chemistry” because the first-round pick missed time with a foot injury, so it will be interesting to see what happens now that they are on the same page.
The next chance to see that will come at home against the Cardinals.