Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson addressed rumors of internal frustration with offensive coordinator Todd Monken on Tuesday. Internal reports have indicated that a multitude of players have become confused with his play amid a disappointing 2-5 start.
Before the Ravens’ game Thursday night against the Miami Dolphins, Jackson came to the defense of the coach, who is in his third year with the franchise. His first two seasons in Baltimore were record-breaking, making the quarterback believe it wasn’t his fault.
“We won all those games over the years with him,” Jackson said. “It’s been about 3 years. The start of a slow season, I feel like everyone plays a role in their own way. You can’t blame it on one person.”
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During his first two seasons, Todd Monken generally adhered to the game plan outlined during weekly preparations. This year, however, the offensive coordinator caught some players in the organization off guard by going off-script with unexpected play calls.
This approach would have caused a disconnect with players, who repeat specific plays all week and feel confident in their execution, only to find that a different strategy is used during matches. However, Lamar Jackson believes that everyone is responsible for the team’s collapse.
Lamar Jackson set to return to action against the Dolphins
Lamar Jackson will return from injury Thursday night against the Miami Dolphins. The quarterback, who injured his hamstring in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, is excited to return to the field.
“Extremely excited,” Jackson said. “I can’t wait to hit the grass with my guys. It’s been a long time.”
Jackson spoke about how defiant it was to get injured amid the team’s struggles to get results. Projected as Super Bowl contenders, the Ravens have won just two games this season.
“It was very difficult,” Jackson said. “When I found out I had a knee injury, the training staff told me how long I was going to be out. I just thought we had to do everything we could as quickly as possible to get back on the field, and here it is. It took a little while, but here we are.”
The Ravens will aim to capitalize on the return of Lamar Jackson and live up to preseason expectations over the coming weeks. The team got back to winning ways on Sunday with a 30-16 victory over the Chicago Bears, and they will look to keep that pace going.
Edited by Farouk Yusuf
