OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Lamar Jackson so often looks relaxed and in his element on the practice field, bolting down the field with a chuckle as he escapes a rush, or catching a pass from an offensive lineman before the workout really begins. But as he met with the media June 17 for the first time since January, Jackson had a bit of an edge about him.
Jackson was impassioned in his defense of his tight end and good friend Mark Andrews, making clear Jackson did not appreciate the criticism directed at Andrews after the team’s divisional round loss to Buffalo, and he spoke of “vengeance” as Jackson and the Ravens look to move past yet another postseason disappointment.
Jackson drew a crowd to his media availability after the team’s mandatory minicamp practice here on June 17, as it was the first time the two-time MVP quarterback has met with the media since that loss to Buffalo six months ago. Jackson appeared at one of the team’s OTA workouts but opted to stay away from the rest, returning to the practice fields for the mandatory minicamp this week.
The team will hold one more minicamp workout June 18 before a monthlong break ahead of the start of training camp.
The spotlight will always shine brightest on Jackson, and his absence from most of the team’s voluntary OTA workouts will always be a story. But last year, Jackson missed most spring workouts and produced one of the best seasons of his career.
Head coach John Harbaugh would surely like his star quarterback on hand, and Jackson’s talk of the importance of building chemistry with his receivers rings a touch hollow when he opts to stay away from official team workouts with them. But if Jackson again plays himself to the front of the MVP race – many thought he deserved to win it last year but was edged out by Buffalo’s Josh Allen – Jackson’s absence from noncontact practices in May will be forgotten.
It’s clear, though, that Jackson has not forgotten the 27-25 divisional round loss to Buffalo.
Quarterbacks coach Tee Martin, speaking after the June 17 workout, described that as a “deep-felt loss” and said the first thing Jackson talked to him about this offseason was last season’s losses.
“He was like, ‘I just want to know how we lost them and what we did and what we can do better.'” Martin said. “So, he’s already thinking that way.”
Martin said he sees a more assertive, more confident, more mature Jackson as the two-time MVP enters his eighth NFL season.
“You see maturity there in terms of what he sees on the field and things that he wants to do offensively,” Martin said. “He’s having more input back to us as coaches. Like, ‘I see this. I would like to do this more or less.’ He’s doing more of that and just taking his communication to the next level.”
Jackson looked comfortable through the roughly two-hour workout, tossing passes to Andrews, Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Isaiah Likely and offseason acquisition DeAndre Hopkins, among others. With no contact allowed in the OTA workouts, some drills were conducted at half-speed, but Jackson was still full-go as he tried to dodge defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who barreled down on Jackson after beating right guard Daniel Faalele during one drill.
After practice, Jackson made clear that the playoff loss to the Bills still stings, and he said the “boneheaded interception” he threw, plus a fumble, still bothered him.
Jackson is 70-24 as a starter in the regular-season, and his winning percentage of .745 ranks third-best among all quarterbacks with at least 50 starts since the AFL-NFL merger. But he is 3-5 as a playoff starter, and he is the only two-time MVP quarterback who has yet to reach the Super Bowl.
“I don’t think I get over any loss, to be honest,” Jackson said. “I’ve got losses from youth football that still haunt me. I never get over a loss, I don’t care how small it might be to someone else or how great it might be, it’s always the same for me.”
Jackson, though, made clear that he did not appreciate the vitriol directed after the most recent playoff loss at Andrews, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who joined the Ravens with Jackson in 2018 and has been Jackson’s favorite target and third-down security blanket throughout his career. Andrews holds several Ravens records, including most touchdowns (51).
Andrews dropped a potential game-tying two-point conversion against the Bills with 1:33 left after losing a fumble earlier in the fourth quarter. Andrews, a pending free agent after the season, was the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason.
“Mandrews,” Jackson said. speaking as if he had been waiting for six months to vent. “I can’t forget my guy. … I’ve been seeing [him] get talked about [online], and I really don’t like that because he’s done so much for us. I’m off topic right now, but he’s done so much for us. … I just don’t like that. Mark is still Mark. He’s still ‘Mandrews.'”
Asked to elaborate, Jackson added, “I just saw people trying to dog him in comments and stuff. Don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of people that wish they could have been playing this game. He’s accomplished so much, for us, and for himself. … I wish I didn’t throw that interception. I wish I didn’t fumble. I wish the mishap had not happened, but it happened. It’s just a lesson learned, so next time we’ll do something better.”
Andrews, incidentally, has been on the field throughout spring workouts and drew one of the bigger cheers of the day as he caught a pass down the seam and ran uncontested down the field in front of PSL holders on hand.
A more assertive, mature Jackson returns this year with perhaps the best group of receivers he has had in his Ravens career, anchored by Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, with the addition DeAndre Hopkins.
Like Jackson, Hopkins missed most of the team’s voluntary OTA workouts, but Jackson said he looks forward to working with the three-time All-Pro this season.
“That guy is dope,” Jackson said. “He is different. … It’s just dope to have him, and I am looking forward to throwing a lot of touchdowns to him this year.”
NOTEBOOK
LOOP STRUGGLES AGAIN: Last week, rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed four of nine field-goal attempts with owner Steve Bisciotti looking on. Bisciotti, who doesn’t attend every spring workout, was on hand again when Loop missed his first two field-goal attempts during a drill simulating a last-second kick. One was basically at extra-point distance and the other was from about 40 yards. Lamar Jackson and others gave a pep talk to Loop, who later hit from 42 and 45 yards. Undrafted kicker John Hoyland, who alternated with Loop during the drill, went 4-for-4.
Loop is still the clear front-runner to win the job, but you can bet that Loop, kicking coach Randy Brown and coach John Harbaugh would like to see a strong, consistent day out of Loop before the team scatters for a month before training camp.
LOWERY, TAMPA MAKE IMPRESSIVE PICKS: With no contact during minicamp, some drills such as one-on-ones between receivers and defensive backs were done at half-speed. But defensive backs Reuben Lowery and T.J. Tampa had two of the most impressive plays of the day during full-team drills.
Lowery made a great interception as he ripped the ball from receiver Dayton Wade along the left sideline. It’s the latest splash play for Lowery, an undrafted rookie from Tennessee-Chattanooga who has played both cornerback and safety and made himself noticed this spring.
Tampa, the second-year corner who was slowed by injury last season, made a nice juggling interception in the back of the end zone on a pass from Cooper Rush. Safety Sanoussi Kane ran over to celebrate with Tampa.
Lamar Jackson threw an interception in a 7-on-7 period when linebacker Trenton Simpson jumped a route intended for tight end Charlie Kolar. Linebacker Jake Hummel had a chance for a similar play with Devin Leary at quarterback, but Hummel dropped the ball.
VETERANS RETURN: In addition to Jackson and Hopkins, veteran linebacker Kyle Van Noy and defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike, who had opted to sit out the voluntary OTA workouts, were back on the field for the mandatory minicamp. Second-year safety Beau Brade, who had tweaked his ankle last week, was also back on the field but limited.
Rookie third-round offensive lineman Emery Jones (shoulder) and safety Ar’Darius Washington (Achilles) remain sidelined, but the rest of the team was in uniform. The team also had a few tryout players on hand. One was receiver Ramel Keyton, who was with the Las Vegas Raiders last year. Keyton had a short pass glance off his hands in the misty rain and get picked off by rookie safety Desmond Igbinosun, which is probably not the ideal way for Keyton to make a first impression.
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