How the Vikings are preparing for Lamar Jackson and his singular skill set

As the Vikings have prepared to take on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday a tall task that starts and stops with trying to contain superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson they have leaned heavily on a secret weapon in practice That would be journeyman running back Cam Akers Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers picks up selected yardage in the fourth quarter of a NFL event against the Cincinnati Bengals at U S Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday Sept John Autey Pioneer Press Though majority of people know him for the position he currently plays Akers was an incredible quarterback once upon a time at Clinton High School in Mississippi His stats will forever be the stuff of legend in his home state He was the Mississippi Gatorade Member of the Year as a senior after throwing for yards and touchdowns and rushing for yards and touchdowns The numbers were astounding by the time he graduated as he had passed for yards and touchdowns and rushed for yards and touchdowns That dual threat ability has served the Vikings well this week in practice as they ve had Akers occasionally line up in the shotgun as a way to mimic several of Jackson s unique abilities As he went over specific of his reps Akers bashfully admitted that he threw an interception to edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel They were telling me who to throw it to so take that with a grain of salt he added with a smile It wasn t like I was just back there throwing it up The process of preparing for Jackson has extended far beyond absolutely having Akers take chosen snaps here and there It s been a total company effort as the Vikings have tried to put together a event plan to stop the perennial MVP candidate who has proven to be virtually unstoppable It s a huge test for us defensive coordinator Brian Flores reported They ve got one of the most of dynamic players perhaps ever That s not even hyperbole when analyzing Jackson and his singular skill set He s been able to blend accuracy and athleticism unlike anybody the NFL has ever seen throwing for yards and touchdowns and rushing for yards and touchdowns so far in his career He also boasts a passer rating which currently ranks as the best career mark of all time and has completed percent of his passes Not bad considering a few scouts thought Jackson would never make it as a quarterback at the highest level What I think Lamar has done at such a high level to become one of the best at the position in the NFL is make the throws in rhythm accurately head coach Kevin O Connell disclosed He s an elite thrower of the football As somebody who grew up in Florida less than an hour away from Jackson safety Josh Metellus has a different perspective on his rise up the ranks He has seen Jackson go from a prospect oozing with prospective to the face of a franchise who will eventually wear a gold jacket He s one of one Metellus explained There s only so much we can do to get ready for him Lamar Jackson quarterback de los Ravens de Baltimore se dispone a lanzar un pase ante los Dolphins de Miami el jueves de octubre de AP Foto Rebecca Blackwell It helps that the Vikings have already gotten specific experience going up against mobile quarterbacks They were in recent times torched by Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts who regularly escaped pressure before launching the ball downfield then by Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert who scrambled for big gains without much resistance They were able to extend plays Metellus noted That kind of screwed us up a little bit That s a big part of Jackson s encounter so the Vikings have done everything in their power to make sure they re ready for it To prep for the possibility of him creating off schedule for example O Connell has waited to blow the whistle this week in practice until long after he usually would Just to make sure the guys on the backend are plastering coverage and understanding that certain of the big plays that they make are not how they were drawn up O Connell commented We re going to have to be as good as we ve been against this challenge The position players that Jackson gets to throw to understand the assignment whenever he s able to buy himself various time It turns into backyard football from time to time and when that happens that s when the Ravens are at their majority dangerous It s about disruption O Connell revealed It s about getting him off the spot The athlete that gets him off the spot is more than likely not going to be able to inevitably make the play Who s the next guy there As much as the Vikings prepare for it however it s inevitable Jackson is going to break contain at various point It s about minimizing the damage when he does something special with the ball in his hands You can t stop him Metellus revealed It s more about limiting his explosiveness It helps that the defense is operating essentially at full strength It s not a coincidence that the return of Van Ginkel last weekend unlocked something in the Vikings that helped them upset the Detroit Lions on the road There s a calmness when we ve got all our guys out there and we re healthy linebacker Blake Cashman announced We can trust that everybody is going to be in the right spot as it pertains to our assignment on the play call That has been on display from the defense time and time again this week in practice as rookie quarterback Max Brosmer or veteran quarterback John Wolford have also done their part to get everybody ready for what Jackson brings to the table I have to do my best to emulate a little bit of what he does Brosmer revealed His pocket awareness and the way he moves around Luckily for the Vikings they ve also have had Akers in their back pocket which has helped them better prepare for Jackson to several degree It s been fun giving them a look and getting specific work in Akers explained Just doing my part to help the crew Related Articles Max Brosmer is helping J J McCarthy be at his best for Minnesota Vikings vs Ravens What to know ahead of Week matchup The Loop NFL Picks Week This veteran journeyman has been the unsung hero for the Vikings Vikings star Andrew Van Ginkel calls out dirty play by the Lions