
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been an elite quarterback, to say the least, and he has always been at his most dangerous when he can fully lean on his legs in the run game. However, in the face of injury against the Cleveland Browns, he broke an impressive streak.
Prior to the Ravens' Week 11 matchup, Jackson had thrown at least one passing touchdown in each of his last 30 games. That streak came to an end this weekend, with one of his most disappointing performances ever. Despite having access to Jackson's typically elite arm, offensive coordinator Todd Monken clearly chose to rely on the run game more.
After dealing with a hamstring injury and then experiencing knee soreness, it was obvious that Monken dialed back the option reads. The pitches, the run dynamics and even the natural pairing of superstar Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson.
This has quietly made the offensive line more exposed as the Ravens have fallen into a one-dimensional run identity that teams like Cleveland can quickly sniff out.
The Browns' defensive front harasses offensive linemen like no one else in football, and absolutely did that again in this week's matchup as Lamar threw 25 passes and completed only 14 for a 56% completion percentage, which is flat-out yuck for someone of his caliber.
That was one of Lamar Jackson's worst games in quiet some time.
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) November 17, 2025
He finished with 2 interceptions (both off deflections) and 0 touchdowns. He had 14 completions for 193 yards and a 47.6 QB rating.
He was under duress the entire game, getting sacked 5 times, with 4 coming from…
He also threw for just 193 yards with a TD/INT ratio sitting at zero touchdowns to two interceptions, and Lamar somehow had only 10 rushing yards, which opens the door to a real question about how much Monken’s recent passiveness has affected Jackson’s overall performance.
The Browns recorded 28 pressures, with seven from Myles Garrett and five from Mason Graham, and the rest coming from other Browns players, which added up to Lamar being pressured on 45.1% of his dropbacks. The wild part is that the number almost feels low because the eye test made it seem like bodies were flying at him on nearly every play.
That made Baltimore’s eventual 23-16 comeback win even more surprising as Mark Andrews scored the game-sealing rushing touchdown on a fake tush push that might genuinely be one of the most brilliant and ballsy calls of Monken’s career.
It was also a reminder that when he trusts his creativity, the entire offense looks different, and the Ravens quietly sit at 4-0 since the bye week with their eyes locked on the AFC North title. Only one game separates them from taking full control of the division.
The Ravens now turn their attention to Nov. 23, against the New York Jets, where they will try to keep this momentum rolling. This game marks the first of a three-game homestand that could define how the rest of the AFC playoff race unfolds for a Baltimore team that is still winning but also still trying to rediscover the fully unleashed version of Lamar that the league has always feared.
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