Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has seen a fair amount of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson over the years and he’s picked up on a difference this season.
Jackson has thrown for 1,810 yards and 15 touchdowns through the first seven weeks of the season, which Schwartz sees as a sign of Jackson’s evolution as a quarterback. Schwartz thinks Jackson was once a quarterback who looks to run, but is now a quarterback who uses his running ability to punish defenses who are trying to keep him from making plays through the air.
“He’s gone from a run-first quarterback to a pass-first quarterback that can make plays with his feet,” Schwartz said, via the team’s website. “They’ve pretty much opened the whole passing game up to him and he can rely on that, but he also has those legs that he can make explosive plays.”
Jackson may not be run-first, but he’s still effective in that area. 49ers running back Jordan Mason is the only player with more rushes of 10 or more yards this season, so Schwartz and his defense are going to have their hands full this Sunday.
