The Chiefs and Ravens have played one another several times over the last few years, giving Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones an appreciation for what it means to defend quarterback Lamar Jackson.
That’s part of why he was a little surprised when he saw that Jackson had been sacked seven times in Baltimore’s loss to Detroit on Monday night.
“It’s not often Lamar is easily sacked seven times,” Jones said in his Thursday press conference. “When I heard that stat, I was like, well, that’s crazy — because the Ravens mostly run the ball. But Lamar can pass the ball, too. It’s the dynamic of the game, I guess they went down and tried to get back in the game and [were] throwing the ball. I get it — it happens. It’s not often, but it happens.”
The only other times Jackson had been sacked seven times were his first playoff game against the Chargers back in the 2018 postseason and a 2021 loss to the division-rival Steelers.
But generally, Jones knows the difficulty of playing Jackson, who Jones called fast, explosive, and a strong passer.
“Any play in the game, he can change the dynamic of it,” Jones said. “So, with him, it’s always tough to play against Lamar and the Baltimore Ravens. Stopping Lamar is one thing, trying to contain him is another.
“Over the years, you look at how prolific as a passer he’s become — I think he’s completing 70 percent of his passes. I think he should’ve won MVP last year. Have so much respect for him.”
In three games so far this season, Jackson has completed 72 percent of his throws for 722 yards with a league-leading nine touchdowns. Jackson also leads the league in yards per attempt (9.6), yards per completion (13.4), and passer rating (141.8).
