Having the NFL League Pass and watching way too much football on Sundays, it doesn’t take Vince Lombardi to evaluate the overall quarterback play in the league. It’s mediocre, at best.
As far as superteams, they don’t exist. The NFL salary cap is a huge factor in creating parity, and even the best teams this season have flaws.
The Philadelphia Eagles have the league’s best record at 9-1, but their rush defense is porous, allowing over 120 rushing yards a game. Minnesota ran off seven straight wins, stood 8-1 and was routed at home by Dallas last weekend, 40-3.
Kansas City is 8-2, but six wins have been by four points or less. Led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes the Chiefs are good, but far from great.
As far as quarterback play around the NFL, let’s call it a changing of the guard. Established star QBs like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers have gotten old overnight. Super Bowl-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford has been awful this season, and so has his team, the LA Rams.
Stafford, now 34, is out this week, in concussion protocol, and will be replaced by former Virginia QB Bryce Perkins in the Rams’ contest at Kansas City.
Brady is slowly becoming an afterthought in Tampa, while Rodgers appears disinterested in Green Bay. At 45, Brady now gets attention for the wrong reasons, his much-publicized divorce and the fact he had defied the aging process until this season.
The senior citizen quarterbacks have now turned the spotlight onto an emerging group of young signal-callers. Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts and Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa are now joining Mahomes, Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Buffalo’s Josh Allen as the NFL’s young guns.
These quarterbacks are not just putting up great stats, they are team leaders as well. Miami was projected as a .500 team, but not to be the top team in the AFC East. Hurt’s season so far in Philly has been dynamic, and the Eagles have the best record in the NFL.
Now let’s look at Jackson. Baltimore stands 7-3 on the season and enjoys a four-game win streak. Jackson, while not always dazzling this season, has been consistent; last week his interception against Carolina was his first turnover in four games.
Jackson is learning to play within himself, which means he’s beginning to understand that, yes, he does have limitations, and this is not the ACC.
Baltimore is doing “Baltimore-like-things” in their front office approach. The Ravens are becoming comfortable with Jackson and his game management approach. What does that translate to? The Ravens believe Jackson has stabilized the offense enough that Baltimore is now turning the defense into elite status.
Jackson is learning that he is a great athlete who is a good quarterback with weaknesses. It’s these weaknesses that may prevent him from ever achieving the status of a franchise quarterback.
The Ravens have built the offense around Jackson’s legs and running game, not his arm strength. Jackson’s ability to run and make big plays moves him to the cusp of elite status.
Each season brings a new challenge to all NFL quarterbacks; Lamar Jackson is no exception. This season Jackson has been more steady than spectacular, and that suits the Baltimore Ravens perfectly.
Does that make Jackson elite? In Charm City it does.
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