Why NY Giants’ Joe Judge says Ravens’ Lamar Jackson is a ‘unicorn’
NY Giants head coach Joe Judge says he didn’t realize until he saw Ravens QB Lamar Jackson up close just how fast he is
The NY Giants have seen some of the NFL’s more mobile quarterbacks in recent weeks, facing off against the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson, Cardinals’ Kyler Murray, and Browns’ Baker Mayfield, but the most dangerous might be to come Sunday.
When the NY Giants board the buses and head down I-95 South to Baltimore this week, head coach Joe Judge knows his team is in for a unique challenge against the Ravens’ Lamer Jackson.
“I think this guy’s a unicorn,” Judge said of Jackson on Wednesday. “In terms of how he can play and how he really makes explosive plays with his legs along with the arm-strength he’s capable of making.”
Jackson enters Sunday leading the Ravens on a three game winning streak and has completed 64.8 percent of his passes for 2,461 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions, but might be a bigger threat with his legs.
While Jackson has struggled at times with downfield accuracy, particularly outside the numbers, he remains one of the more dangerous running quarterbacks in the league. Through 13 games, Jackson has already rushed for 828 yards and seven touchdowns.
"“It’s about being disciplined and fundamentally sound,” Judge said was the biggest key to defending Jackson. “You have to be able to tackle in space. We played him last year, and I told the team this morning, the thing I came away from that game saying was ‘I didn’t realize he was that fast.’“You see him on tape running away from guys, you know he’s fast. But, when you see guys in person and you watch them athletically up close, you realize this guy is a lot better on tape, and you already had a lot of respect based on what you saw on tape.”"
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Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.