With another win today against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Baltimore Ravens have put a ton of pressure on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Announcements have been made about the benching of their 11 year veteran quarterback Joe Flacco in favor of rookie Lamar Jackson. The proof is in the pudding right now, and the Ravens have become a big threat to the AFC.
As far as throwing the ball, Jackson is okay. It's not wowing by any means, but he does enough to get by. His totals after today's game are just over 800 yards passing, five touchdowns and three picks. The one thing that is a huge help is the ground game. Baltimore has rushed for over 200 in four of the last five, putting them in the top three in total rushing yards. Jackson has made it to almost 600 yards by just running. Combined with the defense playing strong despite the eight and six record, they could be in the running for a division title.
Quite frankly, I think Flacco was playing on borrowed time. Since the 2012 season that ended with a Super Bowl title, the Ravens haven't been the same. Defensively, they've changed a bit. The run game has been inconsistent. Flacco's ability as a quarterback has either been okay or bad or he has been missing time due to injury. He didn't live up to his big contract. What's funny is that they went through a number of quarterbacks prior to his arrival in 2008.
Whether Jackson lives up to the potential is a tale only he can tell. Baltimore may either have their future or he can crash and burn. I want to see the former out of him.
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