By Dalton Ray–
During the offseason, some media slotted Lamar Jackson a dark-horse Heisman candidate. Because his season finale was spectacular, Jackson has been on the radar of most voters. No one could have predicted the start of his 2016 season.
In only six quarters of play, Jackson has totaled 1,033 yards and 13 touchdowns. That’s an average of 172 total yards and two touchdowns, per quarter. Those are insane numbers, video-game like. Even though the first two opponents haven’t been the best, it’s impressive.
Coming into the season, people expected Jackson to be a better passer and have better control over the offense. Those expectations have been exceeded through two weeks of the season.
In the season opener, Jackson threw for 238 yards and six touchdowns. The most impressive stat: Jackson did that damage on 17-for-23 passing. Charlotte brought an array of blitzes early in the game that forced Jackson to dance in the pocket.
LJ8 handled the pressure ideally and showed maturity in the face of the rush. He didn’t bail from the pocket immediately, he didn’t force a bad ball down the field and he didn’t simply take the sack. Jackson moved within the pocket, had an internal clock in his mind and fled when needed. The trust Jackson holds in his teammates is obvious.
Even in the Syracuse game when Jackson went 20-for-39, he still looked calm and confident through the air. The Cardinals had a higher volume of drops against the Orange which didn’t help. The sophomore hit two big-time bombs down field to two receivers. James Quick, 72-yards, and Jaylon Smith, 61-yards, caught the down-field strikes.
While it is entertaining to watch Jackson fling the ball around, the most mesmerizing aspect of his game is when he takes off. The straight-line speed Jackson possesses is impressive. He’s a quarterback and shouldn’t be able to go that fast. Jackson is also just as agile as he is quick.
Action Jackson only needs a little crease of daylight. Even if defenders give him half a crease, his ability to make one single cut opens up the other half he needs. Jackson’s change-of-direction is simply brutal.
Jackson is one of the nation’s most lethal weapons when it comes to the read-option. Whether it’s the basic zone-read, midline-read, speed option or triple option, Jackson is nearly impossible to stop. Of his six rushing touchdowns, five are from read-options.
Against Syracuse, No. 8 ran for 199 yards, including a 72-yard dash to the endzone. Within those 199 yards, Jackson found pay-dirt four different times.
The most electrifying score came in the second quarter. Jackson pulled the ball on a read with one blocker leading heading to the sideline. Syracuse’s defender came up to fill the alley, powered-down and went low on Jackson. Like a gazelle, Jackson calmly hurdled over the Syracuse DB as he trotted in the endzone.
While Jackson isn’t the only dual-threat QB to dazzle his fan base and the nation, he may be the best in 2016. Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield plays a similar style but his game is More like Johnny Manziel or Northern Illinois’ Jordan Lynch. Jackson is cut more from the Braxton Miller, Michael Vick cloth.
With Jackson’s biggest tests ahead , he can still prove himself on the big stage. One thing is for sure, Jackson’s Heisman campaign is here and rolling.
Photo by Chase Guttman / The Daily Orange
