Bob Sutton: Lamar Jackson is faster than Michael Vick, Robert Griffin III
By Matt Conner
Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton says Lamar Jackson is faster than other speedy quarterbacks he’s faced in recent years.
At the rate that the Kansas City Chiefs defense gives up yards, it’s safe to say that any offense is going to present a challenge. In Week 14 against the Baltimore Ravens, the Chiefs will face a wrinkle of a different sort as they try to contain quarterback Lamar Jackson and his ability to move the chains with his feet.
Jackson came into the NFL as a heralded offensive weapon, a player who could likely take up more than one position. The former Heisman Trophy winner was simply too gifted of an athlete and overall talent for the Baltimore Ravens to ignore in the first round, and with Joe Flacco’s recent injury, Jackson has taken over the starting spot over the last three weeks. On Sunday, it will be his fourth NFL start.
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In those three games, the Ravens are undefeated, largely due to the success of their stout defense, but Jackson’s two-way threat to pass or run has certainly helped in those victories to put up to requisite points over the Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals. He’s averaged 88 rushing yards/game in that span, an insane number for a quarterback, which means defenses have to maintain a focus on Jackson escaping the pocket to scramble for a first down (or much more).
Earlier this week, Bob Sutton, the Chiefs defensive coordinator, spoke to reporters about Jackson’s speed and said, “We’ve never played against a guy as fast as this.” Sutton referenced Colin Kaepernick, Michael Vick, and Robert Griffin III but said all three weren’t quite on the level of Lamar Jackson.
It will be interesting to see how concerned the Chiefs are with Jackson slipping the pocket and moving the chains here and there or whether they remain patient and wait for Jackson to turn the ball over. He’s fumbled the ball five times in three games, so there’s something to be said for that strategy.