Three weeks ago, Lamar Jackson hung 37 points on the New England Patriots’ defense, humbling a unit that’s been arguably the NFL’s best this season.
But even after that stinging 37-20 loss, one of the key members of New England’s defense can’t help respect the Baltimore Ravens’ electric young quarterback.
“He’s balling, bro,” linebacker Kyle Van Noy said Tuesday during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “… I think he’s bringing a whole different swag to football. I mean, you can see him. I love his attitude. From little things like, I think they had a false start penalty, and he threw the ball in the dirt because he’s chasing greatness.
“And as a player, I respect that, because you want that on the other side. When I line up, I want to beat you, and he’s trying to do the same, and I love that intensity he brings. He’s bringing a whole different feel to the NFL, and I’m happy for him. He’s giving kids a chance. I think it’s awesome.”
Chatting with @KVN_03 on attempting to defend @Lj_era8 #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/aKBQEPwm9P
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 26, 2019
Van Noy went on to explain what makes Jackson, who leads the NFL with 24 touchdown passes and ranks fifth in the league with 876 rushing yards, so difficult to defend.
“It’s just guarding an extra person,” he said. “He’s not only a good quarterback, but he’s an extra running back in the run game, and it’s hard to account for that, because that’s an extra person. So when they’re running that speed option with an extra puller and a fullback out so you have to defend that, plus he can keep it or pitch it, it’s a tough deal, and you’ve got to be on your A-game. Unfortunately, we weren’t that night, and hopefully we will be the next time if we see them down the road.”
The 10-1 Patriots and 9-2 Ravens currently occupy the top two spots in the AFC standings, with New England leading by one game in the battle for home-field advantage. Baltimore has looked like the stronger team of late, however, scoring lopsided victories over the Seattle Seahawks (14 points), Patriots (17 points), Houston Texans (34 points) and Los Angeles Rams (39 points) during its current seven-game win streak.
