Skip Bayless 'I've Never Seen a Better Baller at Quarterback' Than Lamar Jackson
Following the Ravens' 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, famous – or infamous – pundit Skip Bayless posted a video on Twitter squared up ready to fight in support of Lamar Jackson.
"There is no quarterback in the National Football League I'd rather watch play football than Lamar Jackson. In all my years I've never seen a better baller at quarterback," Bayless said.
"I'm talking about a backyard baller – a battler – than Lamar freakin' Jackson. I loved watching him [on Thursday] at Kansas City. I know he missed three or four throws you got to make, but how many plays did he make with his feet and his arm?"
Jackson finished the season opener with 273 passing yards and a touchdown, coupled with 122 rushing yards on 16 carries. His elusiveness, speed, agility and arm talent rallied the Ravens from behind even though the comeback bid fell short.
For the most part, critics didn't pile on the reigning MVP; they did however express concern for the Ravens' chances at being "real" contenders due to some weaknesses. Bayless remains firm in his belief of Jackson and the Ravens and is sticking with them to make the AFC Championship game.
"… I picked the Ravens to win the AFC over the Chiefs," Bayless said. "I picked them to get to the AFC Championship against the Bengals, who are going to beat the Chiefs at the Chiefs in the playoffs – Burrow over Mahomes again – and I'm sticking with it because of Lamar. Jackson. Balling. Out."
Pundits Express Concern for Slimmed-Down Jackson Taking Hits
Against the Chiefs, Jackson fought for every yard. At times, he initiated contact as opposed to shaking tacklers or getting out of bounds or to the ground. Pundits, including Baltimore Positive’s Luke Jones, excused the effort due to the opponent and nature of the game but are concerned if Jackson continues playing that way this season.
"Though Lamar Jackson played really well overall, he took way too many hits, especially on the heels of dropping weight," Jones wrote. "I'll chalk it up to him wanting some revenge for last January, but initiating and taking that much contact is asking for trouble. It was reminiscent of his rookie season."
Jackson was tackled on 13 of his 16 carries, hit in the backfield twice as a passer, and sacked once. Getting down, getting rid of the ball, or escaping to the sideline may be a priority going forward.
Mark Andrews Will Still Get His Opportunities
Ravens fans and fantasy football players were perplexed as to why Jackson wasn't targeting his favorite target, tight end Mark Andrews, against the Chiefs. But a deep dive into the film revealed Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo schemed to eliminate Andrews.
The strategy from Spagnuolo has been in place for years, as Andrews has only exceeded 30 yards once against the Chiefs since 2019, when Spagnuolo became their defensive coordinator. And more specifically, this game featured the most double-coverage Andrews has seen since 2021.
Jones urged all to not overreact to Andrews' first game.
"Mark Andrews catching two passes for 14 yards on 59 snaps left fans surprised and fantasy football owners exasperated, but we shouldn't overreact, especially with Andrews missing much of August following a car accident," Jones wrote.
Around the AFC North in Week 1
With the loss on Thursday, Sunday for Ravens fans was free for them to root against the rest of the AFC North. Two games went their way as only the Steelers exited Week 1 with a win. Here's what pundits have to say about their divisional foes following their performances.
Bengals lose, 17-10, to New England Patriots
NFL.com’s Kevin Patra: "Cincinnati's Week 1 struggles continue. The club fell to 1-5 in season openers under Zac Taylor -- with the lone victory coming in overtime in 2021. Three of the five losses have come at home. Joe Burrow and the offense looked like a club that didn't get much preseason and training camp work together. The offense looked disjointed from snap one, going three-and-out on its first three drives. Cincy didn't earn its first first down until 10:30 in the second quarter. When things finally got going, errors ensued."
Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame: "Stock down: The Bengals need more from Joe Burrow. Burrow, who flexed his right wrist throughout the afternoon, only threw for 5.7 yards per attempt in defeat. With the Chiefs next, Burrow has to find his rhythm and hope for a healthy Tee Higgins as a target as well."
ESPN’s Ben Baby: "The Bengals started out stale again. For the second straight season opener, the Bengals were held scoreless in the first half. In fact, they trailed by 10 or more for the third straight season opener and haven't scored a touchdown in the first half of Week 1 since 2021. The chemistry, especially on offense, wasn't there -- with the absence of WR Tee Higgins (hamstring) noticeable."
Browns lose, 33-17, to Dallas Cowboys
NFL.com’s Nick Shook: "The Browns made a change at offensive coordinator in the offseason, going from Alex Van Pelt to Ken Dorsey, and while neither called plays, the switch did not come close to paying off on Sunday. Cleveland's play-calling was uninspired and downright abysmal -- a fault that lands on Kevin Stefanski first -- and even when their plans worked, penalties often wiped them out and buried the offense before they could get going. The Browns finished with 11 accepted penalties for 85 yards and were about as useful as a punt on third down throughout most of the game."
Verderame: "Stock down: It's [Deshaun] Watson. The Browns are stuck in the midst of a self-inflicted disaster, paying Watson $230 million guaranteed over five years. At this point, turning to Jameis Winston in the near future can't be ruled out, even if it makes the entire franchise look ridiculous for handing out the worst contract in NFL history."
Steelers win, 18-10, over Atlanta Falcons
Shook: "With plenty of uncertainty surrounding Pittsburgh's offense -- especially after a rough preseason -- most Steelers fans pointed toward their defense as a reason to feel hopeful. That unit delivered Sunday, boxing up the Falcons' offense to the tune of just 226 total yards of offense. Per usual, T.J. Watt dominated, owning right tackle Kaleb McGary all afternoon and wreaking frequent havoc in Atlanta's backfield, finishing with three pressures and a sack, which could have been three had he not had two strip-sacks wiped out by penalties (including an offside on Watt). Pittsburgh's aggression paid off in droves, throwing Kirk Cousins out of rhythm and producing three takeaways. In case the final score didn't tell you, the Steelers' defense won this game."
Verderame: "Stock up: Fields is the only answer. He managed the game while making a few big plays, including a 40-yarder to George Pickens. Pittsburgh has virtually nothing invested in Russell Wilson, making him all the easier to bench."
