Lamar Jackson Dominant Throwing the Ball Downfield

Baltimore QB leads NFL in several categories,

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Teams are daring Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson to throw the ball, and he is making them pay.

And he has not just passed the eye test

If opponents stack the box, Jackson is showing he can beat them over the top.

The statistics tell the story, courtesy of NFL Insider Jason La Canfora. 

— Jackson leads the NFL in yards per completion (14.36), Matthew Stafford is second at 13.28.

— He also leads the league in air yards per passing attempt (11.60). Aaron Rodgers is second (9.71). 

— Jackson is ranked first in play-action passing attempts.

— He leads the NFL in play-action attempts on first down and is completing more than 77% of those passes. 

— Jackson is the first player in NFL history with 1,000 yards passing and 250 yards rushing through the first four games of a season. 

Over four games, Jackson has thrown for 1,077 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions (89.3 passer rating). He also leads the Ravens with 279 yards rushing.

“Our O-line does a great job," Jackson said. "Our running backs do a great job of running the ball so I think that’s why it’s so effective. When I’m dropping back, the linebackers are running up thinking it’s a run and guys are open and flying around and our O-line is holding their own, blocking. That’s why it’s successful.”

With rookie Rashod Bateman poised to make his pro debut, the Ravens suddenly have a multitude of wide receivers that will be looking for targets.

Jackson has shown he can get everyone involved in the offense.

“We say in practice when guys came in last year, that they just needed to get their feet wet and used to being on an NFL field because it is different from college but those guys did a great job," Jackson said about the wide receivers. "We just need to keep building and practice and keep going. The sky’s the limit for those guys."