Raiders Focused On Stopping Lamar Jackson, Not Ravens Injuries

Baltimore QB begins fourth season..

Raiders defensive tackle Gerald McCoy doesn't see the Ravens being too hindered by their injuries at running back.  

Not as long as Baltimore has quarterback Lamar Jackson. 

"There’s nothing you can do to prepare for Lamar Jackson," McCoy told SI Monday Morning Quarterback. "He was the league MVP for a reason. I don’t care what the scheme is. He is the scheme. So the scheme is what it is. But that guy is so incredible. He’s not from Earth. He’s not human. They’re a very talented team, and I hate, hate, hate with a passion all the injuries they’re going through, especially with me coming off an injury. 

"I despise injuries, and I hate that opening day comes up and they have all these players out. I know that sounds crazy like, But Gerald, you’re playing them. It doesn’t matter. I love to compete at the highest level, and they’re such a talented team, and I hate that all the weapons have gotten hurt, because they’re so good."

Baltimore had the league's top running attack over the past two seasons. But the team lost running backs J.K. Dobbins (knee), Gus Edwards (knee), and Justice Hill (Achilles) to season-ending knee injuries. 

The Ravens now have five running backs who could play Monday against the Raiders — Ty’Son Williams, Trenton Cannon, Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman, and Le’Veon Bell. 

McCoy expects Baltimore's running game to be at full speed Monday night.

"I don’t want to take away from Gus Edwards or J.K. Dobbins by saying Lamar is the scheme," McCoy said. "But when you have a scheme like they have, and you have a person at the forefront of that scheme that you have to focus on at all points—he can be a threat in the run, in the pass, you never know when he’s gonna keep it, you never know when he’s gonna give it, and then if he does keep it, is it gonna be a boot, is it gonna be a run, is it gonna be an option? 

"You don’t know. And then when you think you’ve got him corralled, he does all these different whatever-it-is-he-does things, and boom, he’s 60 yards downfield. That is hell to deal with. So there is no comparison to Army or Navy; this is Lamar Jackson we’re talking about."

The  Raiders know they need to slow Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson to have any chance of winning their matchup.  The players are bracing for Jackson's dual-threat ability. 

How do you stop Jackson?

"Well, any quarterback at the NFL level, you don’t get pressure on them and they’ll kill you," McCoy said. "But this guy, there’s a way to get pressure on him, and I’ll leave it at that. We just got to make sure we got our rush lanes down, because if he sees a seam, if what he sees downfield isn’t there, the pass he was about to make, he can get the same amount of yards with his legs. So we gotta be careful."

So, the Raiders are not focused on how the Ravens' injuries might have hindered the team. 

Instead, their focus is on the players that are healthy, namely Jackson. 

"The Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson are still playing.