ATLANTA - The Atlanta Falcons had to prepare for two quarterbacks this past week in anticipation of today's visit from the Baltimore Ravens: 11th-year starter Joe Flacco and dual-threat rookie Lamar Jackson, the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner at Louisville.
Of the two, Jackson was the hot topic in Atlanta's locker room.
The Falcons (4-7), who face the Carolina Panthers and Cam Newton twice each season in NFC South play, have prepared for other mobile quarterbacks. Atlanta defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, in his fourth NFL season, said Jackson belongs in a different category.
"I don't feel there's a comparison to what we've seen in terms of the level of athlete that he is," Jarrett said. "He's a guy who can play anywhere, at any position on the offensive side of the ball. I don't think there's a comparison to anybody in the league to what he can do athletically at the position of quarterback."
Flacco received medical clearance to play and practiced Friday for the first time since injuring his right hip on Nov. 4, but in his absence, Jackson has boosted the team's playoff hopes by leading Baltimore (6-5) to back-to-back wins over the Cincinnati Bengals, 24-21, and the Oakland Raiders, 34-17. Jackson suddenly is the Ravens' second-leading rusher this season after leading them to more than 400 total yards in each of the two straight wins.
Even Baltimore coach John Harbaugh is stunned by the impact of Jackson's unusual speed in games.
"We all are sports fans, and 'speed kills' is what they say in any sport, really, so it's fun to watch," Harbaugh said. "But I do think it's always more impressive to see it live than it is on tape, sure."
Jackson ran for 117 yards against the Bengals and 71 in last week's 34-17 win over the Raiders. He completed 13 of 19 passes for 150 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in the first victory and was 14-of-25 for 178 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in the second one.
"It's difficult to simulate," Falcons coach Dan Quinn said, "because he has such quickness and speed, like a wide receiver or a corner has, but he's behind center."
Baltimore's bigger surprise is the emergence of undrafted rookie running back Gus Edwards, who has topped 100 rushing yards in two straight games. Jackson and Edwards have given the offense a new look - and opposing defenses new concerns.
"He definitely takes pressure off of me," Edwards said. "All defenses have to respect the read option. He can make plays with his feet, so the defense has to respect it."
The Falcons have had their playoff hopes devastated by their second three-game losing streak of the season.
One priority for them is reviving a running attack that fell flat in a 31-17 loss at New Orleans on Thanksgiving night, when Tevin Coleman and Ito Smith combined to net 6 yards on 12 carries. In addition, Matt Ryan was sacked six times, and Quinn has said he could make changes on the offensive line.
"At the end of the day, our execution as players needs to be better," Quinn said. "We have to do a better job within our assignments."
Ryan leads the NFL this season with 3,683 passing yards - Julio Jones has been on the receiving end of a league-leading 1,305 of those - despite the pressure, and he shouldn't expect it to ease up with the Ravens in town. They set a franchise record by sacking Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota 11 times in a 21-o win Oct. 14 in Nashville, and defensive end Matthew Judon had sacks on three straight plays against Oakland last week. He is the first player to pull off the feat since Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman Brad Scioli against the Houston Texans in 2002.