Lamar Jackson has always been the best athlete on the field, a supremely talented player who can destroy defenses with his arm or legs.

Now that the Ravens' two-time MVP is on another level with the mental side of the game, it might be over for the rest of the league.

Much of the Ravens' focus in Year 2 with Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken has been to put more on Jackson's plate to diagnose opposing defenses and get the Ravens into the best play. That work is paying off.

"I just feel like everything is slowing down even more just from the [seven] years I've been in the league and seeing all types of defenses, seeing all types of blitzes," Jackson said Thursday. "Everything is just second nature right now."

Former Washington tight end Logan Paulsen was on the sideline during Baltimore's 30-23 win over the Commanders and was amazed by what he heard from Jackson, saying he audibled on several of the Ravens' biggest plays.

"It was like a cheat code, his ability to identify the coverages," Paulsen said. "I know that I didn't think that he had that kind of ability at the line of scrimmage, very similar to Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, to get you in the right look consistently. That was super impressive."

Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum is part of that communication process with Jackson, and he's seen a difference this year. He said Monken did a good job of "adding tools" and Jackson is "back there controlling everything and he's done a tremendous job."

Wide receiver Rashod Bateman said Jackson is "playing smarter, being more decisive with the football." Head Coach John Harbaugh agreed that this is the best he's seen Jackson play because he chases perfection.

Jackson is already garnering buzz about being on track to win his third MVP award. He once again reiterated Thursday that he doesn't care about such individual accomplishments.

The Ravens offense ranks first in the league in pretty much every category: yards per game (453.7), rushing yards per game (205.3), third down percentage (51.5), red-zone touchdown percentage (75), and first downs per game (25).

The only one they're missing is points, where the Ravens rank fourth with 29.5 per game, two spots behind Monday night's opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coming out on top in that competition is what Jackson is focused on.

"There's room for improvement with our offense," Jackson said. "It's not a perfect offense – no offense is – but we're still working. We're trying to get somewhere."

Lamar Calls Former Heisman Winner Baker Mayfield a 'Tremendous Quarterback'

If teams had a do-over on the 2018 NFL Draft, Jackson would probably take Baker Mayfield's No. 1-overall spot instead of going No. 32.

Monday night's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be another chapter in the matchup between the two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks from the same draft class.

Jackson is 6-2 against Mayfield as an NFL starter, with five of those wins coming against him when he was a Cleveland Brown and the latest in 2022 when Mayfield was rehabbing his career with the Carolina Panthers.

Now Mayfield is with his fourth NFL team (he also had a brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams) and, like Jackson, he's playing probably the best football of his career.

Mayfield leads the NFL with 15 touchdown passes and has the second-highest quarterback rating (109.4) – one spot ahead of Jackson. Mayfield's 1,489 passing yards ranks eighth in the league – one spot below Jackson (1,529).

"He is a tremendous quarterback, he has been since college, ever since I've known him – even going back to the Heisman," Jackson said. "I love his game. … From afar, he's still the same Baker. He's still making things happen for [the Buccaneers]."

It's the third-straight game that Jackson will face off against a Heisman Trophy winner, as Mayfield follows Jayden Daniels of the Commanders and Joe Burrow of the Bengals. Mayfield was asked if facing two other Heisman Trophy winners in Jackson and Derrick Henry adds motivation.

"I wouldn't say fuel," Mayfield told Bucs reporters. "It's always fun to see those guys."

Lamar Explains Why He's Dominated the NFC

There are many eye-popping Jackson statistics from over the years, but one of the toughest ones to explain is his sparkling 22-1 record against NFL opponents.

That mark stands as the best by a quarterback versus an opposing conference in NFL history. Jackson is 2-0 versus the Buccaneers.

Jackson has on multiple occasions said he doesn't want to talk about it because it feels like a jinx, but he did offer some reasons for it on Thursday.

"[It's] just an all-around team effort [and] gameplan," Jackson said. "It's probably because we see each other [every once in a while], so it's hard to game-plan for us. [It's] a little bit of everything."

Henry Explains Why He Doesn't Dance After Touchdowns

Henry leads the NFL in touchdowns scored, but his teammates are pleading for more – specifically after the touchdown.

Henry was mic'd for Ravens Wired during the win over the Commanders, and it caught fellow running backs Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell telling Henry he should be dancing in the end zone.

Henry paid them little attention then, and he doesn't seem to be changing his mind. He said he used to dance in the early stages of his career – maybe the first four years – but not in Year 9.

"I'm old now. I'm over it now," Henry said with a smile. "I'll leave the dancing to them. They're ready to dance anytime. I'll be like, 'Maybe I'll have y'all dance on the sideline so they can get a glimpse of you dancing.' I don't dance. I just hand the ball to the ref and go to the sideline."