Browns HC Kevin Stefanski speaks on what is most difficult about facing Ravens' Lamar Jackson
The Cleveland Browns under head coach Kevin Stefanski have had mixed results when going up against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Jackson tallied three total touchdowns and a passer rating over 100.0 in each of his first two meetings against the Stefanski-led Browns. The script flipped for Jackson in his last three such games, […]
The Cleveland Browns under head coach Kevin Stefanski have had mixed results when going up against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
Jackson tallied three total touchdowns and a passer rating over 100.0 in each of his first two meetings against the Stefanski-led Browns. The script flipped for Jackson in his last three such games, as he combined for a mere one touchdown pass in the trio of contests.
Even as the Browns have been able to slow down the Jackson-led Ravens offense as of late, Stefanski recognizes that the two-time Pro Bowler’s versatility as a quarterback will pose a challenge to his defense in Week 4.
"It’s really tough when you’re facing a running quarterback," Stefanski said during a press conference on Wednesday. "And I think teams when they’re facing us understand that there are plays that they’re never over because these guys can get out of trouble, they can extend plays, they can run.
"So, you have to be so disciplined in what you’re doing, whether it’s man, zone, pressure — not you have to just be ultimately disciplined in your rush lanes, disciplined in what you’re seeing because he is a major threat with the ball in his hands."
Stefanski has been watching plenty of film on Jackson in preparation for the Browns’ upcoming home clash with the Ravens, and there is much that stands out to him about Baltimore’s new-look offense.
"Yeah, I think there’s a few big differences and then there’s a lot of similarities to what they’ve done before," Stefanski said. “They’ve carried over certain elements of their offense that will look very similar and then there are other elements, especially with some of the personnel groupings that are very different.
"But he’s getting the ball out on time accurately. His completion percentage is very high, and I think that speaks to both the coaching and the player doing a great job in that scheme."
The Browns and Ravens split their regular season series in the 2022 campaign.
