Todd Monken said the quarterback has unique traits, including field vision and ability to escape pressure.
Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken says Lamar Jackson has yet to reach his full potential.
Monken said there is a give and take when it comes to adjusting or changing plays on the line of scrimmage. Some quarterbacks frequently change plays to the final details, while others are reluctant to make decisions separate from the play caller.
“Lamar wants that, and Lamar is getting more and more comfortable with it and he’s really good at it,” Monken said. “We have to keep going that path, and so I think he’s just going to continue… and I think he’s still just scratching the surface of where he’s heading, and while it may not show up like that statistically, I didn’t just hurt the surface, not just his hard work, but he was not only on his way, he was throwing football and progressing through his reading, but now he’s really starting to come.”
Jackson established himself as a dual threat quarterback early in his career, becoming the first quarterback since Michael Vic, rushing for more than 1,000 yards in the 2019 season, and repeated the feats in 2020. He also threw four intercepts, the lowest number since his rookie season. He also led the league in average yards per pass (8.8) and passerby ratings (119.6). Both of these numbers were career-high. He added 915 yards and four touchdowns to the ground.
Monken said Jackson was sure he deserved his third MVP award this year, but other players like Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Saquon Berkley and Derrick Henry are also worthy of it. He said he doesn’t want to compare elite quarterbacks because all NFL quarterbacks are elite.
Related Stories
“Comparison is a thief of joy,” he said. “Why can’t people just be great? I don’t know why people seem to continue the best in the NBA or why they have to decide who the best quarterbacks are when they’re elite. First of all, if you’re in the NFL, you’re elite, but I don’t care. If you’re a starter in the NFL, you’re elite. You’re one of the best in the world. You’re one of 32. That’s pretty weirdly elite to me. I’m 32 in the world for what you’re doing.”
But Monken said Jackson has unique traits that make him great, including his field vision and ability to find throwing windows, his ability to escape pressure, and throw his accuracy off platform. He said Jackson has the unique ability to keep himself in control while letting his pockets go away. He also praised his passing of accuracy, noting that there are few examples of passes he caused a drop or missed a throw at all.
Among other things, Monken said the two MVPs are humble but competitive. “I was around some really humble superstars,” he said. “Lamar is an incredibly humble superstar. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to be competitive and great, but he just wants to win. But he also knows that playing well in that position will add up to it a lot because if you have a great quarterback and you have good players, we all know the possibility that everyone will win exponentially.”
