Detroit Lions defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad (96) sacks Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ravens' Lamar Jackson Has League's Worst Protection

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Oct 18, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The fans of the Baltimore Ravens have gone a few weeks without seeing Lamar Jackson suit up for the team, and as much as everyone enjoyed seeing him run, he spent his final snaps under center on the move for all of the wrong reasons.

It's felt like the 2x MVP has spent more time under duress within his own quarterback pocket than ever before, and some of the box score numbers back up those eye test claims. He took 15 sacks through his first four games, an exceedingly-high rate for someone who succumbed to just 23 in a full season before, and the beating he was taking from opposing defenses was heavily contributing to his constrained job as the offensive orchestrator before he left his fourth game of the season early with a hamstring injury.

Stats Tell the Story

As it turns out, some pressure statistics have revealed that his offensive line really was providing him with some of the worst opportunities in the league. He was leaving his pocket more often than any other quarterback in the league, and it's not like he was given much of a choice.

How often QBs leave the pocket and their primary reason for doing so @FantasyPtsData pic.twitter.com/IlgOH7IcrL
— Football Insights (@fball_insights) October 16, 2025

According to Fantasy Points Data, he was abandoning the pocket over 30% of the time for an easy league lead, with only 8.3% of those situations registering as a "bail." That means that over 90% of the instances in which Jackson went off on his own had to do with his being left with no other option, rarely getting the opportunity to take his time and make his reads without an edge rusher creeping up behind him.

His 69.4% pressure rate also laps his competition, with that inability to get any breathing room arriving at a highly-inopportune point in the schedule. The Ravens dropped to a 1-4 record with Jackson on watch, falling to all three of the contenders they were lined up against.

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Backup quarterback Cooper Rush didn't fare much better in his two starts, throwing for four interceptions without a touchdown and struggling to keep up with the pace required in Baltimore's depleted scheme. Jackson is much more used to the rhythm of his weapons, but his knack for holding onto the ball and extending plays hasn't coexisted with what he's been dealt with.

The Ravens approached the bye week with the intention of solving their biggest areas of need, with both sides of the line sticking out as sub-optimal for what was supposed to be a contending ship. A well-timed rest opportunity and a potentially-bountiful trade deadline haul could save their slipping playoff hopes, as they can only go so far as how effectively Jackson's able to do his job.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: