As the San Francisco 49ers defense prepares to take on Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens offense, their primary goal will be to limit Lamar and his playmaking ability. Lamar is of course one of the most dynamic quarterbacks thanks to his combined rushing and passing abilities
49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner spoke on Lamar’s unique abilities ahead of their Week 16 matchup. “Lamar’s always been a heck of a playmaker,” Warner said. “The things that he can do with his legs and throwing the ball is incredible. For sure is gonna be our toughest opponent this season,” via NBC Sports Bay Area
Yet Lamar has become more dangerous this season thanks to his improvements in the pocket. He can still take off and run at almost any time, but will also throw deep and for big gains more often than in previous years. Warner acknowledged how this makes Lamar even harder to stop now
If the 49ers really want to stop Lamar and the Ravens, they’ll have to do a better job tackling and limiting big plays. The 49ers have missed over 12 tackles in each of their last three games, including a season high 16 this past week against the Arizona Cardinals, per David Lombardi. They also allowed a 49-yard touchdown run to Cardinals’ Emari Demercado. Missed tackling and giving up big plays were a huge reason the 49ers sustained a three-game losing streak earlier in the year. Against a player as versatile and elusive as Lamar, the 49ers could be in danger if they don’t shore up their defensive execution
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