For the second time this season, the Baltimore Ravens are on a two-game winning streak. Not only did the Ravens snap their three-game losing skid, but they have seemingly corrected some of their offensive and defensive woes.

Rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson made his second NFL start, and it was not nearly as glamorous as his first. Not only did he throw two interceptions, but his inaccuracy issues were apparent. Jackson misfired on several throws resulting in incompletions and an interception. His ability to read defenses should also be under question as well.

Aside from several poor throws, Jackson did deliver a couple of accurate, on-time throws that resulted in big-time completions. Some of the plays he made were sensational, and his pocket presence has improved each week. He is not a run-first quarterback. The Ravens utilize several read-option plays, quarterback bootlegs, and counter plays to allow him to make plays with his legs, but he is not always looking to scramble. In terms of going through his progressions, Jackson is very veteran-like. The route concepts and play designs were still basic and somewhat conservative, but he had no issues surveying the field in Week 12.

The offense itself also had more unique looks. They employed a higher percentage of power running concepts, which usually details a running back having one read/hole to hit with a lead blocker. Teams often will pull linemen or have a lead blocker. In Baltimore’s case, they utilized Patrick Ricard or Nick Boyle as the lead blocker. They pulled several different combinations of linemen, but it was an effective concept.

With Joe Flacco at the helm, the Ravens ran more zone concepts. They would run outside zone, inside zone, and split zone, which were not very successful. This was due to the offensive line struggling to get to the blocks, while the running backs would often make the wrong read. Conversely, the offensive line has improved in run-blocking even in zone concepts due to one less linebacker to block with Jackson as the starting quarterback.

Below are five charts detailing the Ravens’ personnel usage by down and yards gained, play chart, play type by down, and yards gained in each concept.

Ravens’ play chart vs. Raiders Down Distance Personnel Play Type Result Down Distance Personnel Play Type Result 1st 10 11 Duo 6 2nd 4 11 Pass -4 3rd 8 11 Pass 10 1st 10 21 RPO 5 2nd 10 11 Pass 25 1st 10 13 Play action 0 (incompletion) 2nd 10 21 Power 3 3rd 7 12 Play action 0 (incompletion) 1st 10 12 Play action 11 1st 10 13 Zone read 5 2nd 5 11 Outside zone 8 1st 10 22 Triple Option 1 2nd 9 11 Fly Sweep 1 3rd 8 12 Pass 0 (incompletion) 1st 10 11 Outside zone 5 2nd 5 12 Play action 74 1st 12 22 Zone read 0 2nd 12 11 Play action 0 (incompletion) 3rd 12 11 Pass 3 1st 10 11 Pass 0 (incompletion) 2nd 10 11 Pass 0 (incompletion) 3rd 10 11 Pass Interception 1st 10 11 Zone read 19 1st 10 11 Pass 0 (incompletion) 2nd 10 12 Zone read 7 3rd 3 11 QB Power 6 1st 10 21 Play action screen pass 6 2nd 4 11 Pass 9 1st 10 11 Pass Interception 1st 10 11 Zone read 5 2nd 5 22 Play action 9 1st 10 11 Inside zone 9 2nd 1 11 Duo 2 1st 10 11 Power 6 2nd 4 21 Play action 2 3rd 2 11 Power 4 1st 10 11 Inside zone 9 2nd 1 21 Power 2 1st 10 11 Zone read 9 2nd 1 11 Zone read -2 3rd 3 11 Power (GT Counter Bash) 15 1st 5 22 QB run 5 1st 10 11 Split zone 1 2nd 9 11 Pass 10 1st 10 11 Pass 6 2nd 4 11 Zone read 6 1st 10 11 Outside zone 5 2nd 5 11 Pass 0 (incompletion) 3rd 5 11 Trap 6 1st 10 11 Inside zone 4 2nd 6 22 Zone read 1 3rd 5 22 Pass 5 1st 10 22 Power 9 2nd 1 22 Power 0 1st 10 11 Zone read 5 2nd 5 21 Power 5 1st 8 11 Inside zone 0 2nd 8 11 Pass 0 (incompletion) 3rd 8 01 Pass 8 1st 10 11 Outside zone 2 2nd 8 11 Zone read 1 3rd 17 11 Zone read 5 1st 10 22 Power 6 2nd 4 22 Power 3 3rd 1 22 Zone read 39 1st 10 22 Split zone 9 2nd 1 22 Power 5

Yards gained by personnel packages Personnel Yards gained Personnel Yards gained 11 196 12 92 13 5 21 23 22 92 01 8 Grand Total 416

Yards gained by play type Play Type Yards gained Play Type Yards gained Duo 8 Fly Sweep 1 Inside zone 22 Outside zone 20 Pass 72 Play action 102 Power 58 QB Power 6 QB run 5 RPO 5 Split zone 10 Trap 6 Triple Option 1 Zone read 100 Grand Total 416

Play type by down Play Type 1st 2nd 3rd Grand Total Play Type 1st 2nd 3rd Grand Total Duo 1 1 2 Fly Sweep 1 1 Inside zone 4 4 Outside zone 3 1 4 Pass 4 7 6 17 Play action 3 4 1 8 Power 3 6 2 11 QB Power 1 1 QB run 1 1 RPO 1 1 Split zone 2 2 Trap 1 1 Triple Option 1 1 Zone read 6 5 2 13 Grand Total 29 25 13 67

Personnel Usage by down Down 11 12 13 21 22 01 Grand Total Down 11 12 13 21 22 01 Grand Total 1st 18 1 2 2 6 29 2nd 14 2 4 5 25 3rd 8 2 2 1 13 Grand Total 40 5 2 6 13 1 67

Baltimore’s first half game script was pass-happy, while the second half play calling was much more run-dominant. With Oakland loading the box early and often, the Ravens attempted to take advantage of it through the passing game.

The Raiders are running Cover 6 skate, which is an effective counter to trips sets. This is an adaptation from Cover 3 Mable. Essentially the cornerback on the lone side runs man-coverage, while the far side runs zone coverage. This helps give the defense an advantageous number of defenders on the stacked side of the field. Oakland also dialed up a five-man blitz with a defensive back. Despite the offensive line picking up the blitz well, Jackson had a rare miss. He did not anticipate the linebacker to float towards his side, which opened up the middle of the field. Instead of hitting an open Nick Boyle, Jackson tried to scramble and was sacked.

Against a distorted Cover 3, the strongside linebacker covered the flats as the defensive back stuck with Willie Snead, who appeared to be running a post route. This is a common trend for defenses to defend slot fades. Jackson connected with Crabtree on a comeback route, which picked up the first down.

Ty Montgomery is likely one of Jackson’s last reads, but this was a miss as he could have potentially scored. The Raiders had a busted coverage, where the cornerback did not drop deep enough in his apparent Cover 3 responsibilities. Montgomery ran by him, but Jackson hit John Brown for a 25-yard gain instead. The result of the play was a significant gain, but it could have been much more. Quarterbacks miss reads all the time, and it is hard to fault Jackson for this as his primary read was open.

Due to the pressure from the right side, Jackson was forced to climb the pocket. The positive spin is that he displayed tremendous fundamentals in the pocket as he kept his hands on the football and kept looking downfield. The issue was that he could have hit Crabtree a second sooner, but the incoming pressure forced him to reload, which resulted in an inaccurate pass.

The jet motion forced the linebacker to commit to the right side, but he quickly backtracked to stop the pass. With a vertical route stretching the linebacker upfield, Hayden Hurst had the middle of the field open. Jackson then delivered a tight-window, accurate throw to Hurst on a dig route. This may not be a ‘sexy completion,’ but it showcases that Jackson can be an accurate passer.

The Ravens ran a ton of outside zone concepts with Joe Flacco at the helm, but the key difference now is how the linebackers react. One linebacker has to account for Jackson keeping the ball, which gives the offensive line an advantageous number. Gus Edwards still deserves credit for outrunning the linebacker to the edge and picking up a significant amount of yards. Matt Skura should have reached the play side linebacker, but he was unable to get there.

This was a somewhat inaccurate throw from Jackson. It was far from a ‘tight spiral,’ and Brown had to drop his hands to catch the ball with defenders in his space. Brown should have caught the football without a doubt, but that does not excuse the poor pass from Jackson. His mechanics still need a ton of work. He did not rotate his shoulders and hips to get the necessary torque to deliver the ball. His arm angle also contributed to the low throw. Taller quarterbacks do not need to worry about arm angle as they are usually taller than their offensive line, but being a shorter quarterback like Jackson, his arm angle needs to be adjusted and fixed every play.

Against what appears to be Cover 2, the deep safety overcommitted to Hurst’s post route, which allowed Andrews to be wide open on a ‘go’ route. Andrews is not known for his speed, but he maintained separation until the very end of the play. He also utilized an excellent one-jab release, where he took a step towards the outside to create an opening on the inside, and then quickly cut back to the inside. The benefit of the inside release for Andrews is not getting pinned to the sidelines by a quicker defender.

Montgomery was running a wheel route, and again, he is likely one of Jackson’s last reads on this play. However, with nothing open in the end zone, Jackson checked it down to Crabtree on a shallow crossing route. On third down, it seems more likely that Montgomery, as opposed to Crabtree, would make a defender or two miss. Montgomery would have had to make one defender miss en route to scoring, while Crabtree had to make three Raiders miss.

On Jackson’s first interception of the game, the Raiders were running a form of quarters coverage. The left side cornerback was playing man coverage, while the rest of the defense was in zone coverage. Jackson never saw the underneath defender cheating towards the middle of the field, and it resulted in a tipped pass. The ball was intercepted, and this was not a great decision from Jackson. The play design was also questionable.

Gareon Conley had good coverage on the play, but Crabtree could have boxed out the smaller cornerback if the ball was placed closer to the sidelines. Crabtree has proven he has excellent body control and positioning in single coverage, yet Jackson threw a pass that did not give his receiver the best opportunity to make a play. Crabtree got his hands on the football, but the placement of the ball allowed Conley to make a play.

According to my chart, the Ravens gained 100 yards on zone read plays. These plays are utilized to help a struggling offensive line. As the old saying goes, “if you cannot block them, read them.” Jackson is reading the defensive end, who is unblocked. If the defender commits to Jackson, he should hand it off. On this particular play, the defender went right to Jackson, which made the read easy. Edwards had a nice jump cut to the outside to pick up a significant gain.

Earlier in the season, Baltimore utilized QB power with Jackson as a ‘gimmick play.’ With Jackson as the starting quarterback, they have ran it less, but it is still somewhat effective. Jackson is not necessarily advised to go the outside, but with the holes being clogged up, he took the outside lane and picked up the first down. Designed quarterback runs are a crucial part of this offense now, and it is fair to question how long this will last. For now, they are working well, even against loaded boxes.

Against man coverage, Jackson took a shot late in the first half to Michael Crabtree on a ‘go’ route. With a single-high safety look, Jackson initially looked off the safety before delivering an underthrown and inaccurate pass to Crabtree. While it may be questionable to have Crabtree running this route from the 30-yard line against a faster cornerback, there was a window for Jackson to fit the ball into. However, the ball was placed too inside, and it did not have enough air under it. Crabtree was in a position to win a jump ball if the pass was thrown further upfield. The result was an interception.

The Raiders’ gameplan on zone reads was evident — force Jackson to give up the football. The defensive end never committed to the running back. Jackson has proven on multiple occasions that he is dangerous in open space, and more teams will likely follow this game plan moving forward.

Matt Skura has come under question for much of this season as both a pass-protector and a run-blocker. On this play, he executed his play perfectly. He helped Yanda on the double team block and then climbed to reach the linebacker to open up a monster hole for Gus Edwards. The other key on this zone play was Nicholas Morrow (50), who committed Jackson keeping the ball. The result was a six-on-six blocking situation instead of six-on-seven.

The power running game was alive and well for the Ravens in Week 12. They utilized more power concepts, including GT power concepts later in the second half. Marty Mornhinweg did a stout job of building off of this look in the second half. He initially showed Alex Lewis pulling, which resulted in a minimal gain. Later in the game, he expanded off of this concept.

On the same drive, the Ravens ran a GT power concept. Alex Lewis and Ronnie Stanley pulled to the play side, while Jackson faked the read. Later in the game, it was evident that Jackson also has the option to keep it on this play if he chooses too. This play design is something that is prevalent in the college football world, especially at Oklahoma.

Here's a breakdown from https://t.co/VTGiRUMAyh that aligns with what I think the play was: pic.twitter.com/Obx2Dbt1tv — michael crawford (@abukari) November 23, 2018

This is an interesting zone read play as the read may have been to give it to the running back. However, with the defensive end stuck in the middle, Jackson elected to keep it and take his chances beating the defender to the outside, which he did. Zone reads are a college concept as it often times results in quarterbacks taking an unwarranted amount of hits. However, if Jackson can make a habit of getting to sidelines after being untouched, the Ravens can continue to utilize this concept.

Sticking with the GT (guard-tackle) power concepts, the Ravens called a GT counter Bash play. Essentially, this is similar to the previous plays called, but the runner, Montgomery, ran to the backside. This may also have an option for Jackson to keep it, but with the defense committing to the pulling side, Montgomery had an open lane on the backside. Concepts like this will drive a defense crazy.

On a designed QB bootleg, Jackson faked the handoff and raced to the end zone. The key to this play was Ronnie Stanley and his athleticism. He was able to clear a lane for Jackson to run. Not many offensive linemen in the NFL would be able to clear a lane like that in space. He pinned the defender to the outside, while Chris Moore also sustained his block on the outside.

On an outside zone play, Montgomery displayed great patience as he ran horizontally until a hole opened up. Alex Collins and Javorius Allen have struggled with this concept this season, but Montgomery ran it perfectly. The other key is the defensive end, who did not crash Montgomery but stayed home to honor Jackson’s legs.

This is another example of the GT power concept. This could be a Trap concept, but it appears to be another extension of the GT Power series. Again, it is hard to make this play happen without Stanley’s athleticism. He reached the second level and put a critical block on a safety. The exciting thing about these play designs is that the possibilities are endless. Baltimore could build this into an option play, or add a passing element to it among other things. This concept will be something worth monitoring against the Falcons.

On a designed bootleg, Jackson evaded the pressure and delivered a perfect strike to Hayden Hurst. He may have accuracy issues, but what makes it so frustrating is how deadly accurate he can be. On the run, Jackson threw a difficult pass to Hurst right on target. If he can improve his mechanics and footwork, he could be a deadly quarterback.

Timing was an issue for Jackson during this game as well. With some of his receivers, he struggled to deliver accurate, on-time passes. Crabtree and Brown fall into that category. Brown ran a slant, but Jackson waited too long to get his head around and throw the pass. He was attempting to look off the linebacker, but the ball needed to come out a second sooner and a tad higher.

This was a perfectly designed play as Crabtree was running a delayed slant, and Jackson looked off the linebackers and safety enough to give him an open lane. In an empty set in the red zone, the possibilities are endless with Jackson. Defenses have to account for Jackson running the football on draws, which will open up lanes for receivers.

This play was called back due to offensive holding, but Jackson delivered his best throw of the day. Against man coverage, he led John Brown perfectly down the field. The placement of the ball could not have been better, and the timing was impeccable. Brown utilized a one-jab release where he faked to the outside and cut back inside to get an inside release. It is critical to get an inside release to avoid being pinned to the sidelines.

On the final drive of the game, Jackson delivered another dynamic ‘back-breaking’ run. On a zone read, the defender overcommitted to the running back, which gave Jackson an open lane to the outside. Hayden Hurst did just enough to give Jackson a lane as well.

Final Takeaways