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Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff Writer
When Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson drops back against the Green Bay Packers at Thursday’s joint practice, it will mark the first and only time this summer that he will face a different team.
This has been the usual routine for Jackson, who is one of six quarterbacks who have not played game snaps in the last two preseasons and then started Week 1. The Ravens prioritize keeping Jackson and other select starters healthy over giving them a few snaps in preseason games to knock off any rust.
Thursday’s joint practice in Green Bay will provide Jackson with different looks and a different style of defense. The added bonus is it’s held in a controlled environment, where quarterbacks don’t get hit. Jackson will not play in the Ravens’ third and final preseason game on Saturday.
It’s hard to argue with Baltimore’s philosophy: Jackson is the only quarterback to win season openers after sitting out the preseason the last two years.
“We have done well over the years doing that because we practice well,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “It comes down to practice. Practice is what makes it.
“Preseason games don’t make or break you that way; it’s the practices that make you because that’s what you stack.”
Since Harbaugh became the Ravens coach in 2008, he never played his starters for any great length of time. Starters would go for a half or one quarter, or as little as one series.
But all of that changed in the 2021 preseason finale when Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins suffered a season-ending knee injury on the opening drive. Harbaugh has kept Jackson and many other experienced starters on the sideline for the preseason ever since.
In the Ravens’ first two preseason games this year, Baltimore sat 17 starters for each one, including Jackson, running back Derrick Henry and middle linebacker Roquan Smith.
“We want to put our best foot forward right out of the gates as much as we can,” Harbaugh said. “It’s hard to do. There’s no guarantee you’re going to do that, and there’s a lot of question marks to that every year.”
There’s no definitive answer to whether teams should play or sit their starting quarterbacks in the preseason. Since 2018 (but excluding the 2020 season since there were no preseason games), Week 1 quarterbacks who did not appear in that preseason are 17-16 (.515).
Asked if he would like to play in the preseason, Jackson said, “I’m very competitive, so sometimes I do [say], ‘I want to go play.’ But, at the same time, I know why our coaches [are] keeping us off the field; and I’d rather just play [the] regular season than going out there and things happen.”
The Ravens take pride in their fast-paced and intense practices. Coaches put them through nearly every game situation, from being backed up at their own end zone to third-and-longs to two-minute drills.
Baltimore’s challenging camps have carried over to early success in regular season. In 2022, after not playing an entire preseason for the first time, Jackson led Baltimore to a 24-9 win at the New York Jets, which included a 55-yard touchdown pass to Rashod Bateman. Last season, Jackson guided the Ravens to a 25-9 victory over the Houston Texans, completing 77.2% of his passes (17 of 22).
In both openers, Jackson didn’t resemble his MVP form, but he was explosive and efficient enough to record double-digit winning margins each time.
“I think I’ll be good this go-around, no doubt,” Jackson said. “I’ve been with my guys since Day 1, and we [have] been building chemistry. I feel like we’ve been looking pretty good, so I think I’ll be ready.”
Jackson is ready to play against different defenders after 4½ weeks of training camp and a total of 22 practices against the Ravens defense. They’ve competed against each other so much that they know each other’s tendencies.
On what he wants to get out of the joint practice, Jackson said: “Some competitiveness — just not going against my guys each and every day. [We] finally get to go against someone else. Especially [since] I’m not playing [in the] preseason, [it’s] just great to see how we are against other opponents.”
When Jackson and the Ravens return, all eyes turn to the Sept. 5 season opener at the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
“You know [there’s] always things to work on, but I’m definitely ready for the season,” Jackson said. “It’s been a great offseason for us, and [I’m] tired of going against my guys. [I’m] looking forward to Sept. 5.”