Ravens QB Lamar Jackson gives Rams plenty of challenges

THOUSAND OAKS — Four years have done little to dampen the frustration when Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald was reminded this week of the last time he faced Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

“You’re going to bring that up?” he said dourly. “Yeah, I remember it.”

It was with remarkable ease that Jackson navigated a 45-6 win over the Rams in 2019. He threw for just 169 yards and completed just 15 passes, but five of those went for touchdowns. He ran only eight times, but gained 95 yards on the ground.

“That was not a fond memory for the Rams in 2019, but he did his thing when you look at it,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said.

That was Jackson’s unanimous MVP season, one that quieted the critics who considered Jackson a better fit at receiver when he was coming out of Louisville for the NFL draft a year earlier.

Now in his sixth season, Jackson is playing in a different system than he was the last time he faced the Rams. He’s not as quick to run, instead taking his time through his progressions. New offensive coordinator Todd Monken has provided a deeper playbook of passing concepts for the Ravens to run, and it’s led to Jackson completing a career-high 68.3% of his passes.

“He can make you pay with his legs. He can make you pay with his arms. He can make you pay with his mind,” McVay said. “And so you’re seeing all of that stuff show up and that’s what makes him one of the best and one of the most difficult to defend without a doubt.”

The Ravens complicate all that further with the league’s best rushing offense, averaging 158.6 yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry despite lead back J.K. Dobbins tearing his Achilles in the season opener.

Veteran Gus Edwards has led the way with 141 carries for 590 yards while proving to be one of the NFL’s most automatic options at the goal line with 10 rushing touchdowns. Jackson is still heavily in the mix in the ground game with 574 yards (5.1 per carry). And dynamic rookie Keaton Mitchell has provided a late-season punch with his ability to break long runs.

“Got to be stout. You need to be gap stout [and] sound and at times when you got to rush the passer, not get out of your gap or leave an edge where he can roll out or step up and make plays happen,” Donald said. “So it’s a challenge, but it’s a part of the game and we got to find ways to do it.”

The Rams’ offense will have its own challenges to face. The Ravens, like the Browns a week ago, have one of the NFL’s top defenses and come into this game healthier than Cleveland was.

Beyond the imposing talent across from them, the Rams will have to contest with a rain and heavy winds in Baltimore. McVay was annoyed to note that the usual winds in Thousand Oaks died down this week as the Rams prepared for the conditions, but the Rams did practice with a wet football at practice.

“You can’t simulate those conditions here, you have to go see what the conditions are and then go play accordingly in my opinion,” Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “You just kind of got to go play each play as its own and you can’t expect for it to be perfect every single time, but you do get a good grip on it every once in a while and try to put it in a good spot. And if not, then figure out a way to get around it.”

Briefly

The Rams activated veteran kicker Mason Crosby from the practice squad Saturday in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Ravens. The Rams signed Crosby this week after kicker Lucas Havrisik missed his third field goal in four games.

RAMS (6-6) at RAVENS (9-3)

When: 10 a.m. Sunday

Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Md.

TV/Radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 226, 381