Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger recently took to the airwaves to talk some smack about Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. While discussing the Odell Beckham signing, Roethlisberger said that teams simply don’t fear Jackson as a pocket passer, but there isn’t too much data to support that point.
Why Ben Roethlisberger Is Wrong About Lamar Jackson
Roethlisberger’s comments regarding Jackson’s ability as a quarterback stem from the most recent episode of his podcast. Speaking about Jackson’s game, the two-time Super Bowl champion said that “with Lamar, you want to bring safeties down to help stop the run. You don’t really fear Lamar’s accuracy all the time. He’s got a huge arm, he can make things happen when he scrambles, but you don’t fear him just sitting in the pocket and picking you apart.” Roethlisberger goes on to add that Odell Beckham’s presence should ensure that teams can’t play with two safeties in the box, which should give Jackson more opportunities to run the ball.
While Jackson is definitely at his best when he’s terrorizing defenses with both his arms and his legs, statistically speaking, he has been notably impressive when operating out of the pocket. According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, Jackson’s passer rating and quarterback rating in the pocket both exceed Roethlisberger’s. While he was no Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, Roethlisberger was one of the better quarterbacks of his generation, so the fact that Jackson’s pocket performance exceeds the former Steelers great just goes to show how effective he’s been when operating a traditional offense.
ESPN has passer rating in the pocket dating back to 2009.
Lamar Jackson pocket passer rating, 2018-22: 97.9
Ben Roethlisberger pocket passer rating, 2009-21: 94.2(If you prefer QBR in the pocket: 64.9 for Jackson, 63.4 for Roethlisberger) https://t.co/bq8XB1ovYv
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) April 13, 2023
Some of Jackson’s critics may say that his impressive numbers in the pocket are still a byproduct of his rushing ability. Defenses don’t play him the same way as other quarterbacks because he’s such a dangerous threat on the ground. While that may be true to a certain extent, it’s worth noting that the former MVP is one of the most efficient quarterbacks in clear passing situations. Patrick Mahomes is in a tier of his own, but Jackson is right there with other elite quarterbacks like Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, and Drew Brees. Basically, in situations where opposing defenses have no reason to defend the run, Jackson is still able to move the ball at one of the highest rates in the league.
He’s top 5 in EPA in obvious passing situations despite being the ravens being 32nd in offensive spending and a scheme himself and 3 other Wrs called out pic.twitter.com/WFlPGfX5i5
— WayneVulcan (@WayneVulcan) April 12, 2023
Going Beyond the Numbers
Passer rating, quarterback rating, and EPA/play are quarterback stats, but even the most analytically-minded analyst out there will tell you that numbers don’t always paint a full picture. Scheme and receivers all play a role in offensive efficiency, so there is a chance that Jackson’s surroundings are artificially inflating his numbers.
However, taking even a cursory glance at Baltimore’s situation completely dispels this notion. Ever since he entered the league, Jackson has worked with one of the worst supporting casts in football. On the field, Mark Andrews is one of the best tight ends in the league, but the rest of the Ravens supporting cast leaves a lot to be desired. Marquise Brown was a good wide receiver, but he was no superstar, and he’s really the only starting-caliber outside receiver Lamar Jackson has ever played with. Sure, Rashod Bateman has his moments, but the third-year pro has battled injuries throughout his first two seasons in the league.
Baltimore’s scheme, meanwhile, was unquestionably one of the worst in the league. Greg Roman excelled at drawing up run plays, but he simply had no idea how to coordinate a passing attack. This isn’t just the opinion of some dude on a website, as Roman’s inability to scheme plays led to Marquise Brown requesting a trade.
To once again compare Lamar Jackson to Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers provided the big quarterback with one of the best environments in football during his time in the league. Throughout the course of his career, Roethlisberger spent his time throwing to great receivers like Antonio Brown, Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, and Juju Smith-Schuster. Ben Roethlisberger was a good quarterback, but there is no denying that these great players boosted his numbers to a certain extent, yet despite all this, Lamar Jackson is still a more effective passer in the pocket.
