Through three seasons, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are proving doubters wrong originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Almost three years ago, Lamar Jackson took to the podium in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine and answered questions about his future, like every NFL hopeful did at the league’s yearly event. He was charismatic and charming, like he is at most of his press conference.
Jackson, though, didn’t answer many questions that day about which teams he met with or how he was suited for the NFL. Instead, he talked about a move to wide receiver — which he summarily put to rest — as the league questioned what was in store for the Heisman Trophy winner out of Louisville.
Similar questions were raised about the 6-foot-5, 237 pound quarterback from Wyoming with the strongest arm in the class and size that made scouts do cartwheels. The problem, though, was that Josh Allen was one of the least accurate quarterbacks in the class.
Both were viewed, fairly or unfairly, as projects in the NFL. One was a wide receiver masquerading as a quarterback, the other was a tight end who couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn. But both of them, now in their third season in the league, are a win away from an AFC Championship Game appearance. Jackson won league MVP in 2019 and Allen was a top contender in 2020.
Now, they’ll get to showcase to the league exactly what went wrong in their draft year.
“People always – just talking about Josh – say, ‘His big arm,’ but he’s doing it all out there,” Jackson said. “He’s getting out of the pocket, taking advantage of what the defense gives him, throwing the ball on a rope, and he’s slinging the ball, like a Patrick Mahomes. He’s just helping his team out a lot. He’s one of the key reasons they’re putting up so many points and winning games. Hats off to Josh, because he’s been doing it since his rookie season.”
The criticisms of both quarterbacks stemmed from their ability to last in the league as a pocket passer. In three years at Louisville, Jackson completed a career-best 59.1 percent of his passes. In three years in the league, Jackson has posted completion percentages of: 58.2, 66.1 and 64.4 percent. He led the league in touchdown passes in 2019, the year he won MVP.
Allen completed just 56.2 percent of his passes at Wyoming, with a career-best 56.3 percent completion rate in 2017. This year, with the addition of wideout Stefon Diggs, Allen completed 69.2 percent of his passes.
“Usually when you evaluate a quarterback, and he’s not accurate, it’s hard for them to shed that tag,” defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale said. “And what he’s done in the offseason, and what he’s done this year with (offensive coordinator) Brian (Daboll) and those guys, it’s amazing to see — with his accuracy. And it’s accuracy on the move, it’s accuracy out of the pocket. Everything that he has done, he’s become more accurate with it. To paint a picture for you all, it’s young Ben Roethlisberger, because of his size and how he extends plays, with like Marino’s arm.”
The criticisms of both mattered, certainly, as they entered their NFL careers. Even still, those criticisms come up.
Jackson, until last week, was noted as a quarterback that couldn’t win a playoff game, or come from behind when he needed to throw the ball. Allen, the better passer of the two, always appeared on the brink of disaster before a late flip, or a rollout pass, gets completed down the field.
Two two cannot be more different: Jackson, the athletically generational quarterback from Florida lit up college scoreboards and stat sheets. Allen, who grew up in Central California and played at Wyoming, possessed a rocket arm that teams across the league crave.
“(Allen is) a guy that most of us here really, really liked,” coach John Harbaugh said. “Just the arm talent, the ability, the athleticism and the strength. He’s just a big, strong guy. And then you heard about his story; I really liked his story and what he overcame to get to where he was at. He kind of came up the hard road and the underestimated road. I always kind of like those kinds of guys, for sure.”
What has shined this season for both Allen and Jackson, though, are the attributes that skeptics always concluded with a “but.”
Jackson has led the Ravens to the best rushing attack in football through his two-and-a-half seasons as a starter. His speed at the quarterback position has made him the only quarterback in league history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season, twice. He’s done a decent job of passing the ball too, with a career completion percentage of 64 and a quarterback rating of 102.6.
Allen, who didn’t ascend until this season, has turned one of the strongest arms in the NFL into one of the most accurate this season, as the Bills rose to one of the best passing attacks in football.
Saturday, both will show off the exact traits that made scouts excited, but also pause and think. For Jackson, the athleticism that made pundits think a move to receiver was in order has turned the Ravens’ offense into one of the NFL’s best.
“He gets me out of a lot of trouble,” Ravens left guard Bradley Bozeman said. “I’ll give up some pressures, and he’ll get me out of trouble — just, things happen. So, I’m blessed to call him my quarterback, and it’s definitely exciting, whenever he breaks that line of scrimmage, to sit there and watch him run. I can’t really keep up with him, but I like to watch him from a distance. So, I’ve got pretty good eyesight.”
