The AFC wild-card race is beginning to heat up as it appears to be a three-team race between the Ravens, Titans, and Colts assuming the Houston Texans win the AFC South. The Colts and Titans both picked up crucial victories in Week 16, but they still are on the outside looking. Baltimore held their position in the sixth seed with their 20-12 defeat over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In this game, the Ravens’ offense struggled for much of the first half before returning to their smash-mouth power running game in the final two quarters. It was not the prettiest performance for the Marty Mornhinweg’s unit, but 20 points were enough to pick up a victory.

It was the tale of two halves for the Ravens’ offense, especially for the offensive line. The first two quarters were a nightmare in run-blocking. It would be hard to pin the poor execution on one single lineman as each player made their fair share of mistakes. Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda made a couple of uncharacteristic errors that led to several minimal gains, while Matt Skura continued to disappoint. Orlando Brown Jr. and Ronnie Stanley were average at best, while James Hurst showed signs of some improvement, especially on power concepts.

Baltimore continued their power football approach. Although Mornhinweg did not dial up any guard-tackle power concepts, they ran a mixture of duo and G- pulling power plays. They also continued to show different looks in the form of zone reads and QB power, while also sticking with outside zones. With Joe Flacco at the helm, the Ravens had a tendency to run more zone based concepts, but that has since changed with Jackson. This change in schematic approach has clearly paid dividends for the running game.

However, it is not just the scheme to thank for the uptick in the running game. Gus Edwards and Kenneth Dixon are running exceptionally well behind an inconsistent offensive line. Edwards and Dixon fit this playing style well, and each has served in a unique role. The emergence of Dixon should be one of the bigger storylines for this offense as he is not only reading defenses perfectly but also making defenders miss en route to picking up chunks of yards.

Although the stat sheet will not show it, Baltimore’s tight ends were valuable in the running game. The Ravens ran 36 plays with at least two tight ends on the field while being in 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, and three receivers) 35 times. These numbers do not include the final three plays of the game, which were kneel downs.

One of the essential things to remember with the zone read plays, specific RPOs, and power running plays is that they often ask tight ends to do a significant amount of blocking. Not only have the Ravens’ tight ends been up to the task, but they have altered games with their innate blocking abilities. The key for this unit will be to get more production in the passing game, which could come if Jackson can develop into a more consistent passer.

When the Ravens traded back into the first round to select Jackson with the 32nd overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the expectation was that he would sit for at least one season before being handed the keys to the kingdom. Despite being drafted in the first-round, Jackson was a raw quarterback prospect. He made flashy plays in college with his legs and arm, but there were several concerns about his durability and consistency as a passer. His issues in the passing game are likely related to his ever-changing throwing motion.

As a 6-foot-2 quarterback, he will have to change his release point at certain times. Many successful quarterbacks who are relatively short do this. The issue with Jackson is mainly his footwork during the throwing motion. His drop backs and upper body are usually in line and consistent.

The reason why it may have helped Jackson to sit for at least one season other than the obvious learning adjustment to the NFL schedule and long season is to focus on his mechanics. He would still have to prepare as likely the backup quarterback, but he could have honed in on this aspect of his game without the in-game pressure. It is evident that he is constantly thinking about his throwing motion in addition to reading defenses, scanning the field, and checking the protection among all the other tasks a quarterback must handle pre and post snap. Although it may have been better for him to sit and that could have been Baltimore’s ideal scenario, that plan was drastically altered several weeks ago.

The Ravens are hot right now, and they had no choice but to keep Jackson in as the quarterback. Although he has gone 4-1, each start has been a different story. He has learned several lessons and is continuing to progress as a quarterback each week.

The one consistent factor is his inaccuracy. It is imperative that Jackson can improve his mechanics, which should, in turn, help his accuracy issues. The one element to monitor throughout this film piece is Jackson’s footwork. As noted in the film several times, his stride foot often moves after being planted into the ground. This not only indicates uneven weight distribution but also has a direct impact on accuracy. Instead of maximizing power and velocity, he is actually losing it.

The placement of his stride foot is another issue as it forces him to change his eye level, shoulder level, and direction to make a throw, which also impacts accuracy. By moving his body during the throwing motion, he is making it much more difficult to make accurate throws.

The impressive aspect of this is that he still has made several remarkable throws during this five-game stretch, which is a testament to his natural arm talent and ability. He is clearly a natural thrower and can prove to be a consistent passer in due time. The middle of the field has been his sweet spot. Intermediate and deep throws outside the hashes have been far less consistent.

Another common issue that can be directly correlated with the previously mentioned mechanical problems is his back foot. In simplistic terms, it often swings too far forward which results in over-rotation. Each one of his throws that are off the mark are because of one or more of these issues.

The positive sign for the Ravens is that in terms of mechanics, Week 15 may have been one of his better showings. He had several throws that were completely off target, but he got significantly better as a passer as the game progressed.

Jackson taking over has helped the wide receivers see more man coverage. However, Tampa Bay did not stray from their tendencies against the Ravens. They ran a heavy-dose of zone coverage, yet Baltimore’s receivers still gained some separation. Although drops are not nearly as much of issue now than they were earlier in the year, which could be a direct result of volume, John Brown had a horrendous concentration drop off of one of Jackson’s best passes of the day.

Analytics

Play chart Down Distance Personnel Play Type Result Down Distance Personnel Play Type Result 1st 10 11 Split zone 1 2nd 9 12 Outside zone 1 3rd 13 12 Pass 8 1st 10 12 Play action 6 2nd 4 11 Fly sweep -3 3rd 7 11 Pass 0 1st 10 12 Play action 2 2nd 8 12 Zone read 5 3rd 3 11 RPO 14 1st 10 11 Outside zone 2 2nd 8 11 Play action 9 1st 10 11 Zone read 0 1st 10 11 Power 17 1st 10 11 Inside zone 2 2nd 8 12 Split zone 7 3rd 1 11 Duo 3 1st 10 12 Play action 0 2nd 10 12 Zone read 8 3rd 2 12 Duo 6 1st 10 13 End around -5 2nd 15 11 Play action 0 3rd 10 11 Pass 14 1st 10 11 RPO 6 2nd 4 13 Duo 3 3rd 1 13 Play action 0 4th 1 12 Power read 5 1st 2 14 Play action -3 2nd 5 11 Fly sweep 5 1st 10 11 Pass 7 2nd 3 11 Pass 14 1st 10 11 Pass 9 2nd 1 11 Pass 28 1st 10 11 Pass 0 2nd 10 11 Pass 5 3rd 5 02 Pass 0 1st 10 11 Outside zone 3 2nd 7 12 Pass 0 3rd 7 11 Pass 17 1st 10 12 Power 10 1st 10 11 Zone read 14 1st 10 12 QB run 2 1st 18 11 Power 4 2nd 14 13 Play action 22 1st 10 12 Duo 6 2nd 4 11 Duo 10 1st 10 11 Split zone 2 2nd 8 12 Split zone 1 3rd 7 11 Pass 11 1st 10 11 Duo 2 2nd 8 11 Play action 4 3rd 4 11 Option 5 1st 10 13 Power 4 2nd 6 12 Play action 0 3rd 6 11 QB power 7 1st 10 12 Zone read 3 2nd 7 12 Play action 8 1st 10 13 Zone read 4 2nd 6 11 Play action 0 3rd 6 11 Zone read 2 1st 10 11 Power 2 2nd 8 11 Zone read -6 3rd 19 11 Pass 0 1st 10 11 Power 3 2nd 7 12 Power 10 1st 10 13 Duo 5 2nd 5 12 Power 3 3rd 2 13 Duo 3 1st 10 13 Power 7 2nd 3 12 Power 3 1st 10 13 Inside zone 0 2nd 10 11 Duo 26 1st 7 Kneel Kneel -1 2nd 8 Kneel Kneel -1 3rd 9 Kneel Kneel -1

The concerning aspect from these charts is the lack of production on first down. An integral part of Baltimore’s offensive success in the previous four weeks has been their ability to gain a chunk of yards on first down, which led to second and manageable. Not only were they not getting behind the sticks, but it also opened up the playbook for Jackson and the offense. Although that was not the case against Tampa Bay, they operated at a high level on second down. Of their 25 second down plays, they picked up at least half of the necessary yardage on 17 plays or roughly 68%.

The Ravens ran an outside zone play, which has been a staple in their offensive scheme. The running back has three different potential paths, but it is all based on the playside guard, in this case, it is James Hurst. However, center Matt Skura was unable to sustain his block against Vita Vea, which led to the demise of this play. Nick Boyle did push Vea towards the play as opposed to reaching the linebacker, which did impact Skura’s leverage. Baltimore only ran three outside zone plays that resulted in six total yards.

Baltimore attempted to run several motion plays throughout this game, and not all of them worked. On this ‘fly sweep,’ Nick Boyle overstepped and missed his block to seal the edge, which led to Willie Snead having to re-direct his path. After Snead backtracked, he was swarmed by several linebackers as Orlando Brown Jr. and Matt Skura were unable to reach the linebackers. Other than the fact that most teams run this play in the red zone, the issue was that Baltimore does not have the personnel on the right side of their offensive line to execute this concept given Brown Jr. and Skura’s lack of athleticism.

On third down, Jackson forced a pass to Michael Crabtree, who was running a slant against Cover 2. Instead of progressing through his reads, Jackson never looked away from the well-covered Crabtree. He was immediately facing pressure from the right side due to an E-T stunt. However, he missed the open outside receiver. Given the play design, that was likely one of his last reads, but Jackson never moved his head. The other concerning aspect of this play was that instead of taking the sack and living to play another down, Jackson threw a dangerous pass that was nearly intercepted. Early in this game, his decision-making was questionable.

On the same play, the Buccaneers ran an E-T (end-tackle stunt). This is similar to a ‘TEX’ stunt, but the difference is who is penetrating. Carl Nassib is penetrating, while Gerald McCoy is the looper. Brown Jr. and Yanda did not pick up the stunt cleanly as Nassib was extremely quick in his rush. Yanda had poor leverage and posture when attempting to pick up Nassib, which led to him being pushed back. Brown Jr. needed to switch faster and not give up too much ground. Yanda’s hand fighting at the point of attack was also uncharacteristically bad as he never got the proper hand positioning to hold off Nassib.

Baltimore continued to build off of their zone read concepts. In the five games that Jackson has started, no defense has yet to effectively neutralized this play design. It stresses the defenses and puts pressure on defensive backs to make an open field tackle on Jackson, which is certainly not an easy task. Nassib is the critical read on this play, and once he immediately crashed to the running back, Jackson had an easy pull read. The only concern with this play design is the extra hits Jackson could potentially take. However, he went out of bounds relatively untouched on this play.

Run-pass-options (RPOs) have seemingly taken the league by storm. While they are not a new concept in the NFL, they are still extremely useful for an offense with a dominant running game. Jackson was reading the weakside linebacker, and the defensive back lined up across from Snead. With Snead running a slant route, Jackson is looking for an opening in the middle of the field. If Jackson can improve his mechanics and work towards being a more consistent passer, these concepts could be a staple in their offense. The key with Jackson as the starting quarterback is stretching the field and stressing the defense. These concepts can do precisely that.

On another outside zone play, Matt Skura and James Hurst combine for the double team block, which is by design. However, depending on the defender’s positioning and leverage, either Skura or Hurst must climb to the second level to reach the linebacker. Given Vea’s positioning, Skura should have gone upfield to meet the linebacker to clear a hole for the running back. He was too late in identifying his assignment, while Yanda did not sustain his block on McCoy and the play was doomed. McCoy used a swipe-rip move to free himself to help make the tackle. Outside zone concepts require an offense to have athletic linemen to be able to establish ideal leverage while on the move, or in other words beating the defensive linemen to a particular spot. They failed to do that on this play.

As discussed in last week’s film piece, the Ravens are continuing to install and build upon their power running scheme. They have used several different variations of the power scheme, but one of their most common is this G-pull power concept. With a tight end, sometimes a wide receiver (usually Snead), motioning to the playside along with the backside guard, the offensive line will shift to the backside and angle block to create an opening. The EMOLS (end man on the line of scrimmage) will be picked up by the motioning H-back, while the pulling guard (Bradley Bozeman) will climb to the second level to reach a linebacker.

Brown Jr. struggled in run-blocking for much of this game, and McCoy put him in the spin cycle to help make this play. Instead of getting low and establishing proper positioning, Brown Jr. was too far in the backfield, and his hand positioning was never near McCoy’s armpits. He was too high, which allowed McCoy to spin away and meet Dixon at the point of attack. It may have been the wet conditions, but Skura never established an equilibrium within his body and was pushed back into an awkward posture. His feet were too wide, and Vea bullied him.

Off of a play-action bootleg, the Ravens got the look they wanted — the linebackers crashed momentarily before identifying the fake. This left Mark Andrews one on one in space with a linebacker, and he ran right by him. The issue was the throw. It was severely underthrown.

Deep throws usually can be a good barometer for identifying flaws in throwing motions. The quarterback is often thinking about how deep they have to throw it, which could lead to poor mechanics to attempt to get the ball there. Jackson’s mechanics in this play were horrendous. His base was not the issue as it was wide enough. His steps leading up to the throw, his shoulders, hips, and head placement were ideal as well. The problem was, again, his footwork. His hips were not locked on this play, which led to a wild motion. His stride foot flew back as opposed to staying stationary, while his back foot came too far forward resulting in the underthrow. Not only did his lose a ton of velocity on this throw, but it is remarkable how close he was to hitting Andrews.

On another zone read concept, the defensive end overcommitted to the inside resulting in an obvious pull read. Both tight ends provided critical blocks to open up a hole for Jackson to have a one on one matchup with a safety. Although he gave himself up at the end of the play by diving, these play designs create advantageous matchups for Jackson and the rest of the offense.

This is an extremely tight window for Jackson to throw into. However, this ball was doomed from the start due to the placement of his stride foot. Instead of opening it up towards his intended target, John Brown, it is almost even with him, which forced Jackson to have to come around to make the throw. It is subtle, but watch Jackson’s shoulders — they change levels as he made the throw. In the pocket itself, Jackson was too much on his toes. All of this could have been a result of Skura nearly getting pushed into him, but he could have stepped to his right to make the throw.

The middle of the field is clearly Jackson’s sweet spot. He is extremely accurate in this area of the field, and his mechanics are near flawless. His drop back was textbook — one-yard first step, two smaller steps followed. At the end of his drop, he planted his stride foot, and it did not move until the end of the throw. His back foot perfectly switched from his arches to his toes, while his base was wide and his shoulders, hips, and chest faced the target. From a mechanical standpoint, it is hard to envision a much better display.

This appears to be another RPO concept, but Jackson is forced to keep it due to Stanley’s inability to keep his assignment’s hands down. The window for Snead’s slant route was there, albeit it would have been a tough throw, Jackson had an angle. Regardless, Jackson utilized his legs to make something out of nothing. Again, RPOs will clear out the linebackers and give wide receivers more space to operate, especially in the middle of the field where Jackson thrives.

The fake option toss that will count as a touchdown pass for Jackson was a beautiful play design. The fake option to the left side drew the safety and a linebacker, which allowed Moore to have a one-on-one matchup with a linebacker to reach the end zone. Snead served as a lead blocker and took out a defensive back. This is smart football as it plays to Baltimore’s strengths and creates advantageous blocking situations.

The Buccaneers seemingly ran Cover 3 on a majority of Baltimore’s passing plays. The weaknesses of this coverage are the seams and flats. Depending on the linebackers depth on their drop, there may be a gap in between the deep defenders and shallow defenders to exploit. With the middle 1⁄3 defender dropping 20+ yards from the line of scrimmage and hook and curl linebacker overcommitting to the running back, Jackson had an open lane to connect with Mark Andrews.

Jackson’s manipulation of the linebacker was critical to this play’s success. He used a pump fake and a head fake to sell the linebacker on a short underneath route but then stepped to his left to deliver a ball to Andrews. From a mechanics standpoint, the drop was perfect — one-yard first step followed by two short steps. The issue was the shoulder level and eye level. Due to the incoming pressure, Jackson was forced to adjust and deliver an off-balance pass. It is impressive to see him deliver a somewhat accurate throw despite poor mechanics.

This was another impressive throw by Jackson. He achieved the ‘J shape’ with his spine and back leg, which is ideal. While also having a strong front side leading to a perfect rotation. Jackson is using ground force to generate power.

Against Cover 3, Jackson delivered one his best throws of the game. Snead’s route was perfect against this coverage as it attacked the seams, while Crabtree drew the cornerback to stay deep and not cheat to the middle of the field. This was a perfectly designed play against this coverage.

The positive thing regarding his mechanics is the consistency in his dropbacks. It is consistently one-yard on the first step followed by two short steps, which is mechanically sound. His upper body is rarely an issue as he has a smooth motion with the ball in his hands. As discussed earlier, Jackson’s footwork is usually the issue, specifically foot placement and weight distribution. This delivery was flawless.

This was an incredibly ridiculous throw. With a blitz coming from the slot defender, Jackson was forced to deliver a quick pass. Despite pressure in his face, he threw a catchable pass to Andrews. This was a risky throw given Jackson’s limited vision and incoming pressure, but the ball was placed in a spot where Andrews could out leverage the defender to make a catch. Throws like these prove he has natural arm talent and good field vision.

The progression of Baltimore’s running game has been impressive, to say the least. They are continuing to commit to a more power heavy run game, and it has worked wonders for their offense. On a power concept involving a pulling guard and motioning Snead and Hurst, the Ravens created an advantageous blocking situation. This play worked so well because each player executed their one-on-one blocks perfectly.

On another zone read concept, Baltimore designed a double team block to create a one-on-one with Jackson in space against a safety. Plays like this work well because of Jackson’s athleticism and quick agility in space.

The Ravens ran a Duo concept in the red zone, which is a play within the power scheme. The key read for the running back is the ‘Mike’ linebacker. The duo concept is similar to the inside zone, but the biggest difference is the running back’s path and who the center is working towards. In Duo concepts, the center attempts to target the weakside linebacker, while he works towards the ‘Mike’ in zone schemes.

Jackson’s mechanics have progressed leaps and bounds since his first start, and this is another perfect throw. His drop is consistent as it has been all season, while his footwork was flawless. He is not on his toes during his drop back, and his weight distribution is ideal as he threw a perfect pass to Brown in the middle of the field.

Carl Nassib put on tape the perfect way to defend a zone read — just do your job. He did not overcommit one way or the other but instead ran towards Jackson as he broke down. Once Jackson made a decision, Nassib reacted and helped ruin the play.

Final Takeaways