After missing the past three games, Lamar Jackson returned to the field with a bang. He directed the Baltimore Ravens to a dominating 28-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night. In Jackson’s case, he was activated just a little over a month after he hurt his hamstring back on September 28. In front of his home crowd in South Florida, where he grew up, he dazzled the fans by throwing four touchdown passes.
In as good a show of MVP-caliber potential as there’s ever been, Jackson was 78% passing. He ended the game with 18 completions on 23 attempts, totaling 204 yards. He quickly established a rhythm, connecting with tight end Mark Andrews for two touchdown passes of 2 and 20 yards. He found tight end Charlie Kolar open in the end zone for a 3-yard TD pass. He connected with wide receiver Rashod Bateman for a 9-yard touchdown pass.
Jackson admitted to feeling “a little bit” rusty on his first drive. He demonstrated no problems with his hamstring. And oh, the composure he showed under pressure. Under pressure by the end of the first half, he finished 5/7 for 71 yards with three touchdown passes.
This season, the offense has eclipsed an astounding 31.8 points per game with Jackson leading the charge. The team found it nearly impossible to establish its offensive flow in his absence. They went on to average a meager 14.3 yards over three games.
Mark Andrews echoed those sentiments, saying, “He’s a two-time MVP for a reason. He added, “With [No.] 8 leading the charge, we’re a dangerous team.” Each of these sentiments serve to illustrate the renewed confidence the crew is clearly feeling with Jackson back in action.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he was proud of Jackson’s overall performance with such a long layoff. “I’m proud of the way he came out and played,” he remarked. Kolar echoed this sentiment, noting, “Having your MVP back, it just brings a whole new level of confidence in the team.”
Jackson’s return was particularly emotional. TH had only one full practice with the first team to prepare him to go against Miami. The Ravens’ offense looked completely refreshed with him calling the shots, showing they have the capability to be a dangerous group the rest of the way.
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