The Baltimore Ravens have learned to navigate some difficult water with their franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson over the last few years. Jackson has experienced difficulty with illness and recently missed some time during training camp. The show had to go one without Jackson, but his position coach Tee Martin is happy to have him back.
“It was good – just having [Lamar Jackson’s] presence in the meetings, in the meeting room and on the field,” Martin said. “He brings a certain energy, competitiveness and overall talent in the things that we’ve been doing. It’s good to just get him back out [and] see the retention. I knew [that] once he came back, we could start getting some consistency, in terms of his growth and reps that we need in training camp. But it’s been great.”
Jackson was named the NFL MVP last season after leading the Ravens to a 13-4 4 record and the top seed on the AFC. Having him in the lineup is obviously imperative for Baltimore’s success.
Martin said they’ve added some new things and tweaked others to gear up for Jackson’s second year in offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s scheme. They want to streamline the offense for Jackson while keeping focus on making explosive plays, but they don’t want to be reckless while doing so.
Martin has been in Jackson’s shoes. He was once a dynamic threat throwing the football as well as running with it. Naturally, he was able to put the balance of doing so in perspective.
“It’s like a hitter in baseball; you don’t step up to the plate and step into the box saying, ‘I’m going to hit a home run every time.’ You just want to put the bat on the ball, and sometimes it is a home run,” Martin said. “And so, we get the ball in our hands, and we’re going to play the system, we’re going to play the play out, and if the end result is an explosive play, that’s what we’re going to achieve. And then there are times – with the two-minute clock running, you’re down by seven, blah, blah, blah, blah – where you maybe [are] a little bit more aggressive in your approach.”
Knowing how Jackson can extend plays, the wide receivers have to be aware of the play not being over and find ways to uncover for him. Martin said they’ve done a good job working on that I practice.”
Jackson strives to be the best quarterback ever. He and Martin talk about it every day.
“We’re not scared of that,” Martin said with a smile.
Martin believed Jackson could be the best as far back as when he first saw him on TV playing for Louisville. That belief is something Martin works to make sure Jackson feels every day.
“When you see greatness, you tell them. You own it. You want them to believe in themselves. You believe in them. You want them to know that you believe in them,” Martin said. “And that’s what we’re working for.”