Why Jackson and Ravens Offense Are Better Positioned for Postseason Run
The Ravens offense came up short in the AFC Championship Game last season after dominating in the regular season, but The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer said this season’s attack and this version of Jackson “are better positioned than they’ve ever been to avoid playoff potholes.”
Here are some excerpts from Shaffer’s analysis:
“In the 148 playoff games played since 2018, teams have scored an average of 12.3 points per first half. In the Ravens’ six playoff starts with Jackson, they’ve averaged just six. This postseason, though, the Ravens seem better equipped to start fast. They finished third in the NFL’s regular season in first-half scoring (14.8 points) and ranked first in yards per play (6.9) and fourth in expected points added per play (0.10), according to TruMedia.
“They averaged 15.6 first-half points during the regular season against other playoff teams, well ahead of the second-place Minnesota Vikings (14.2). They averaged 7.4 yards per play, well ahead of the second-place Denver Broncos (5.9). And they averaged 0.15 EPA per play, well ahead of the second-place Los Angeles Rams (0.08).”
“Jackson has committed nine turnovers in his six playoff starts (six interceptions and three fumbles lost). Jackson has had some bad turnover luck, but most of his trouble has been self-inflicted. … This regular season, Jackson kept the ball out of harm’s way at an elite clip. He led the NFL’s starting quarterbacks in turnover-worthy-play rate (1.4%) and threw an interception on just 0.8% of his attempts, the NFL’s second-best rate, behind only the Chargers’ Justin Herbert (0.6%). And after losing four fumbles over the season’s first seven weeks, he lost just one over the next 11.”
