In a recent interview, New Orleans Saints linebacker Pete Werner emphasized the importance of keeping Lamar Jackson in the pocket instead of allowing the two-time MVP to beat the defense with his legs. It is a reasonable strategy, considering how electrifying Jackson can be as a runner. The problem is that forcing Jackson to throw does not eliminate the danger he poses.
Pick Your Poison
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Against the Colts, Jackson was both efficient and explosive, completing 17 of 25 passes for 324 yards and a touchdown. He added only 40 rushing yards, but Baltimore hardly needed his legs. Given what Jackson has already shown at his best, that should not be surprising.
Jackson’s 2024 season was his best display as a passer, as he threw for 4,172 yards, 41 touchdowns and just four interceptions. His +0.29 EPA per dropback (per NFL Pro) puts that performance into even more impressive context. Patrick Mahomes produced +0.31 EPA per dropback during his 2018 MVP season when he threw for more than 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns. In other words, Jackson’s efficiency through the air was comparable to one of the greatest passing seasons of the modern era.
His work Sunday against Indianapolis offered another example of that arm talent. One of Jackson’s better plays came with 5:31 remaining in the first quarter. On the All-22, Jackson lined up in an empty formation and took the snap. Grover Stewart initially showed rush before dropping into a shallow zone, drawing center Jovaughn Gwyn’s attention, while DeForest Buckner came free through the interior.
Jackson never panicked. He calmly completed his three-step drop and fired to tight end Matthew Hibner in the flat just before Buckner arrived. Buckner delivered the hit, but Jackson had already gotten the ball out, and Hibner turned the completion into a 13-yard gain and moved the sticks.
There were other plays similar to this, but this one displayed Jackson’s acumen as a passer particularly well. This is what makes Jackson a generational quarterback: even if a defense can limit his game-changing ability as a runner, at his best he remains one of football’s most efficient pocket passers. That makes preparing for him a nightmare and explains why Werner is essentially choosing the lesser of two evils by asking Jackson to win from the pocket.
