Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio knows he's preparing to face a different challenge in Baltimore on Sunday.
Fangio noted that he's faced dual-threat quarterbacks in the past, including this year, but there's nothing like going against Lamar Jackson.
"Yeah, fair share mobile quarterbacks? Yes. Then there's Lamar Jackson," Fangio said on Thursday, chuckling, via the team's official transcript. "He's unlike anybody else. The only other player that's been like him in the last 50 years is Michael Vick. He's a tremendous player. Kudos to Ozzie (Newsome) and Eric (DeCosta) for picking him. Thirty-one other teams that passed him by are kicking themselves. He's really improved over the years. Dynamic with the ball. Good passer. He makes their offense go."
Jackson's improvement as a passer this season and willingness to keep the pass alive have made the Ravens offense much more difficult to deal with for defenses.
Baltimore and Jackson have shined against the top teams, generating six wins of 14-plus points against teams entering the game with a winning record in 2023 (the second-most by any QB since 1950 behind Tom Brady in 2007 -- seven such wins).
Jackson has generated 4,143 offensive yards in 2023, sixth-most in the NFL, including leading all QBs with 786 rush yards. Ranking fourth in the NFL at 7.7 yards per attempt underscores that Jackson hasn't been a nightmare for defenses only with his legs this season.
Jackson ranks third in the NFL in yards per carry (5.5) and fourth in the NFL in pass yards per attempt (7.7). If he keeps up that pace, he'd become the fifth QB since 1970 to rank in the top four in both YPC and YPP. Others: 2015 SEA Russell Wilson, 2012 CAR Cam Newton, 2012 WAS Robert Griffin III, 2010 PHI Michael Vick.
The Ravens have been particularly potent on intermediate passes, where Jackson leads the NFL in pass TD-INT ratio (9-0) and passer rating (133.5) on throws of 10-19 air yards, per Next Gen Stats.
With Jackson's willingness to lean on his arm more and the Ravens' dominance in play action -- leads all quarterbacks in EPA (+53.9) and success rate (61.9%) when using play action this season ahead of No. 2, Tua Tagovailoa (+47.6) -- make the QB a headache to prepare for.
Fangio noted simply putting a spy on Jackson isn't enough.
"Yeah, I mean, the pure definition of a great quarterback is there's no one way to play him," Fangio said on Thursday. "Because if there was, everybody would do it. So you just have to mix up what you're doing. Along the way, they have a hell of a run game. Both from the players ability -- O-line, tight ends, runners -- and the scheme of it with Lamar at the helm makes it a difficult task. There's a lot to prepare for, a lot to defend in this offense."
The key for Fangio on Sunday will be pressuring Jackson without giving up rushing lanes. Jackson's completion percentage falls from 72.9 without pressure to 52.5 when under pressure, per Next Gen Stats. The Dolphins defense ranks third with 243 QB pressures in 2023.
It's worth noting that when Fangio faced Jackson and the Ravens as the head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2021, the QB completed 22 of 37 passes for 316 yards and a TD, took three sacks, and rushed seven times for 28 yards in a 23-7 Baltimore win.
