When the Baltimore Ravens hired offensive coordinator Todd Monken away from the Georgia Bulldogs, they knew they were getting a guy whose forte was spreading teams out and throwing the football around the yard.
Not to be lost in all the passing, is Monken’s willingness to stick with the running game to stay balanced. That’s the unusual quirk that most don’t use in his Air Raid attack.
Todd Monken’s Offense Leads to Improved Passing from Lamar Jackson
Since his arrival after guiding the Bulldogs’ offense in back-to-back CFP national championships, Monken has done his best to make superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson comfortable.
Back in the preseason Jackson raved about how Monken empowered him to be more vocal within the offense, and he even told him to send any plays he liked to run.
This season that seemed to ignite Jackson, who after finishing the past two seasons on the injured list, is now 61-24 as a starter and 20-1 versus the NFC following Monday’s masterpiece in a 33-19 win over the Niners. His only blemish is a 1-3 playoff record that he hopes to change this postseason.
What’s Different About Monken’s Offense?
The biggest difference in Monken’s attack versus that of former offensive coordinator Greg Roman is the way he spreads the field and allows more space for Jackson to operate. In Roman’s attack it was about bigger bodies and power running, which clogged up the middle of the field. Under Monken it’s been about pace and space, and Jackson has flourished in his first season in the offense.
Lamar Jackson Is MVP Leader
Monday’s performance of 252 yards passing, two touchdowns plus another 45 on the ground catapulted Jackson into the forefront of the MVP race. Following the win Jackson was his normal even-keeled self. The 2016 Heisman Trophy winner is also displaying a confidence not seen since his 2019 unanimous MVP season.
“We got the dub, I really don’t care about my performance,” Jackson said. “I just want to win, and that’s what happened tonight. On Christmas, that was my gift.”
Jackson is now an astounding 6-0 in his career versus top-5 defenses on the road, with the Ravens averaging 26.5 points per game in those matchups. Jackson made every play on Monday with his arm and his legs as he displayed what an MVP and game-changer looks like.
Can Jackson And Monken Make It Happen In The Postseason?
Regular season accolades are great, but when you’re Lamar Jackson it’s about postseason success, and that’s something he hasn’t had yet. The hope is Monken, who led UGA to two titles, is the perfect complement to Jackson come the postseason. Sitting at 12-3 is nice, but the duo will be measured on their playoff success.
Monken has given Jackson the keys, and LJ8 has performed admirably with over 3,300 yards passing, nearly 800 yards rushing, and 24 touchdowns.
They’ll likely have home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, something they had in 2019 in a loss to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC divisional round.
