John Harbaugh has seen an extra zip from Lamar Jackson’s passes, and he has the data to back it up.
When fielding a question about Jackson’s throwing velocity and accuracy Wednesday, Harbaugh said his quarterback has “looked very good” in practice. He said the Baltimore Ravens use tracking devices that quantify Jackson’s results.
“There’s chips in the ball, and we look at the numbers on that, and the numbers bear that out, too,” Harbaugh said. “Whatever you’re seeing in terms of your eye – with the way he’s throwing – has been held true with the numbers. He’s throwing the ball really well.”
For the second straight summer, Jackson is looking to rebound from an end-of-season injury. This time, he entered camp fresh off signing a $260 million contract.
Even if he hasn’t noticed a drastic change in demeanor from last preseason, Harbaugh believes the 26-year-old is in a good headspace.
“He’s doing great right now,” Harbaugh said. “He’s into it. His attitude is great. I felt like he was great last year, too, so I really couldn’t say that, but I’m really happy with him.”
Last season, Jackson posted his lowest completion percentage (62.3) since 2018’s rookie campaign with a career-low 6.9 yards per pass attempt. Yet the former MVP enters the season with renewed optimism operating Todd Monken’s offense with help from free-agent signing Odell Beckham Jr. and first-round pick Zay Flowers.
He also appears to have fully recovered from a knee injury that cost him the season’s final six games, including an opening-ro