
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson struggled with injuries throughout the year, finishing 6-7 in games he started. NFL Network analyst and Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner thinks Jackson missed plays that he typically executed in previous years.
“As I was watching film, I couldn’t put my finger on anything that said, ‘Oh, OK, here’s what he’s doing different’ or ‘He’s making bad decisions now that he didn’t make before,'” Warner said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “It wasn’t that. It was more just missing plays that he’s made a million times before.”
Broadcaster and former QB Rich Gannon points out that Jackson’s missing practice time ultimately impacts the quarterback’s chemistry with the rest of the roster.
“He’s had the ability in the past to go out and have fresh legs and do what he does, but eventually it can catch up to you,” Gannon said. “Look, it’s not just that he’s missing practice time. It’s the guys around him that are missing those opportunities with him. It’s the red zone throws you’re not getting. It’s the two-minute shots. It’s the third-down packages that you’re not getting as many reps with.”
However, Warner is skeptical about missing practice being the predominant reason for Jackson’s struggles.
“One missed practice day, especially early in the week, is kind of like, OK, you’re going to have plenty of days to make up for that and get back into the rhythm,” Warner said. “So I don’t think that’s something that I would point to and say, ‘Oh, that’s the reason he’s missing these throws.'”
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