Lamar Jackson completed just 58.2 percent of his 170 pass attempts as a rookie, placing him 31st in the NFL. The Baltimore Ravens quarterback knows that must improve now that he’s the unquestioned full-time signal-caller.
Accuracy is famously one of the most difficult attributes for quarterbacks to improve upon at the NFL level. Most either have it or they don’t. Jackson, however, believes his inaccuracy is fixable and spent the offseason working on his mechanics to improve his accuracy.
“[Mechanics] had a lot to do with it,” he said of his struggles, via the team’s official website. “I was probably getting lazy, trying to make things happen with just my arm and not following through with my legs, and it showed a lot. I would throw an inaccurate ball.”
Jackson famously completed just 2 of 8 passes for 17 yards and a 0.0 QB rating in the first half of the Ravens‘ playoff loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, numbers he knows can’t continue.
As a rookie, Jackson particularly struggled with his ball placement on long, out-breaking routes, and had one of the worst completion percentages in the entire NFL outside the numbers. The signal-caller has focused this offseason on fundamentals to help him improve.
“Keeping a wide base, throwing out-breaking routes,” Jackson said. “Just trying to be spot-on with my accuracy, trying to work on every attribute I can.”
Jackson ran the ball 147 times last season for 695 yards and understands that rate likely isn’t sustainable. For the Ravens to be a balanced offense, he must improve as a passer.
Baltimore might be a run first, run second, run third, throw fourth team, but Jackson knows when it is time to pass, he’s got to be better than last year. He’s working on just that.
“I don’t feel like I’m the best I can be,” Jackson said. “You’ll have to see when the season comes. I’m still working.”
Work, as they say, never stops.