With the 49ers’ strong defense and schemes, on Sunday, Lamar Jackson will likely have his worst game to date.
How exactly do you even attempt to slow down or stop the front-runner for the league MVP? Well, it can be done. It has been done. But let’s face facts: it’s easier said than accomplished.
Lamar Jackson has set the league on fire. He’s getting as much praise as Patrick Mahomes did last season. Deservedly so, too. Through 12 weeks, Jackson is still standing, and he’s still running.
By now, most of us thought teams would have figured out a way to slow down Lamar Jackson. But nobody has so far. And while he’s getting hit and tackled, he hasn’t taken ‘the big hit’ that causes injury. That speaks to his athletic ability and how he’s able to avoid 300-pounders who, well, like to pound.
Jackson is being compared to Michael Vick, but I think “Action Jackson” throws the ball better than Vick at this stage of his career, and I also believe Lamar is making better decisions with the football. Lamar is not a turnover machine, and he appears to be more elusive than Vick, which is absolutely frightening.
All of that said, one team got the better of Lamar Jackson. It was last season in the playoffs against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Bolts had the right formula with the right players to keep Jackson from taking over the game.
LAC’s Derwin James contained Jackson in last year’s playoff game (photo, The Mercury News)
Derwin James was the main character in LAC’s scheme. He was a spy. There have been other spies on Jackson, but what made James stand out is that he had the speed and moves to contain the Ravens’ quarterback.
There’s more. LAC played six defensive backs every down as a strategy to keep Jackson from turning the corner and making big yards on the run. That approach worked perfectly for three quarters–until Jackson switched and became more of a pocket passer. But by that time, it was too late for Baltimore. LAC won the wild card game and moved on in the playoffs.
That was last year. What about 2019? Let’s keep in mind that two teams have beaten the Ravens so far–the Browns and Chiefs. Yes, that was earlier in the season, but the bottom line is that Baltimore can be beaten with Jackson at the helm.
That brings us to this Sunday’s game with a team that could give the Ravens their third loss of the season. In a game that very well could be a Super Bowl preview, the San Francisco 49ers (10-1) come to Baltimore sporting the best defense in the league. That means the ‘Niners have outstanding players–so good, in fact, that they’ve been able to rush four players and still get to the quarterback.
49’ers Jaquiski Tartt (photo, Niners Noise)
The 49ers defensive line gets into the backfield as quickly as any team in the NFL. And while Jackson is a master at avoiding the rush and scrambling out of the pocket, this Sunday he’ll have seven 49ers defenders waiting for him.
Like the Chargers last year, the ‘Niners have the athletes to close the gaps. Jaquiski Tartt can play the role of Derwin James. Middle linebacker Fred Warner can do that, too. San Francisco typically starts five defensive backs, but they may start six on Sunday and rotate in fresh legs.
Of course, to beat Jackson, you can’t focus only on his legs. His arm can beat you, too. He’s a one-read QB, which means that if his primary receiver isn’t open, Jackson is more than likely to take off on the run. That suggests a zone scheme is the best fit. Knowing that the ‘Niners secondary should be able to move up and get to Lamar before he gains a lot of positive yardage.
The formula for the 49ers is to rush their front four in zone gaps. They must spy Jackson with someone who can match his speed, and San Fran has a few players who can do just that. Spy him and play zone. That’s the way to go.
What’s the outcome? With a strong defense and the right scheme, on Sunday, it’s highly likely that we’ll see Lamar Jackson have his worst game of the season.
