Will anyone slow down Lamar Jackson and the Ravens?

Whether it be Michael Vick, Colin Kaepernick, Cam Newton, or any other athletic dual threat quarterback who has started their careers with super numbers and highlights that amaze all fans, a number of players are raking in success. However, a new quarterback has stolen the show. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has taken the National Football League (NFL) by storm in his season and a half as the team’s starting quarterback. The second-year player has not been figured out by opposing defenses and continues to produce video game-type stats every week. The questions that all football fans continue to ask are: will anyone stop Lamar Jackson, and is he changing what coaches want in a franchise quarterback?

In the 2019 season Jackson has been basically unstoppable. He has led the Ravens to a 13-2 record, making them the best team in the American Football Conference (AFC). Along this journey, Jackson has been fun to watch as he creates incredible highlights in almost every game, whether it be his perfectly thrown touchdowns or magical runs. The projected MVP winner has racked up 3,127 passing yards to go along with his 36 passing touchdowns. Nonetheless, his most impressive stat is his 1,206 rushing yards from the quarterback position. In Week 14, Jackson passed legend Michael Vick for the single season rushing yards record for a quarterback. With the regular season ending, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens seem to only be getting started and will be a favorite to win the Super Bowl come February.

Another reason Jackson has been in the spotlight is because of the way he is changing the game. In the past, a quarterback was someone who did not need to be the quickest, most athletic person as long as they could throw the ball with strength and precision. In recent years, the league has begun to see a change and coaches prefer a quarterback with some speed and agility in order to escape defenders and pick up yards with their feet, but some analysts or coaches prefer to stay true to an old school quarterback. With Jackson’s success in this atypical play style, will coaches and owners begin looking for different traits when finding a quarterback? I believe the league is changing and becoming much faster and more physical, meaning a strong dual threat quarterback will be necessary in the future. As Jackson finishes off his record setting year, we will have to wait and see what impact this will have on the rest of the NFL.