Seattle, WA
Bump: Brooks has toughest task for Seahawks vs Lamar, Ravens
One of the better matchups of this weekend’s slate of NFL games involves the Seattle Seahawks.
Why Julian Love must ‘step up’ for Seattle Seahawks’ defense vs Ravens
The Hawks head east to face the Ravens in a critical game as both Seattle and Baltimore are currently in first place in their respective divisions.
After dropping their Week 1 contest to the Los Angeles Rams, the Seahawks have won five of their last six games and enter this week at 5-2. The Ravens, meanwhile, are 6-2 and have won three in a row and four of their last five.
Baltimore is one of the deepest teams in football on both sides of the football, and they’ve got plenty of starpower and firepower on offense.
That led Stacy Rost to ask former NFL receiver Michael Bumpus this question.
“Who’s going to have the toughest assignment this weekend?” she asked during Thursday’s Bump and Stacy on Seattle Sports.
For Bumpus, it comes down to keeping a very close eye on star Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, arguably the greatest running quarterback to ever play in the NFL.
“This is the thing. You’ve got to spy Lamar,” Bumpus said.
In the NFL, a “spy” essentially shadows the quarterback in large part to try and prevent big gains through the ground.
If the Seahawks utilize a spy during this game, Bumpus thinks it will be young linebacker Jordyn Brooks.
“I’m looking at Jordyn Brooks and I say, alright, he can do it,” Bumpus said. “And if he’s asked to spy, it’s going to be tough for him, right? Because when you’re spying a quarterback, you’re trying to see everything at once. You’re checking your cues to see alright, is it a run? Is it a pass? And now you keep your eyes on Lamar (as a runner) also while filling the crossing routes that are going on behind you because the thing that the Ravens do well is that they run the shallows, they run those deep crosses, they run behind these linebackers, they find space. And Lamar does a good job of finding these guys.
“So when you are responsible for spying a quarterback, everything’s happening so fast, and you’re locked in on one of the best to ever do when it comes to running the football.”
Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP, is fifth all-time in rushing yards by an NFL quarterback at 4,817 and he has two 1,000-yard rushing seasons to his name as well as 29 career touchdowns on the ground. This year, Jackson has 380 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
But Jackson is also having arguably his best season passing the football as he is completing 70.5% of his passes for 1,767 yards.
Whether it’s through the air or on the ground, Jackson presents a tough task for Brooks and the Seahawks’ defense.
“If it is Jordyn Brooks, he’s got a tough assignment. But we’ve seen that he’s playing, in my opinion, the best football he’s played in his career,” Bumpus said. “So I’m confident, but it’s still gonna be tough.”
Listen to the full second hour of Thursday’s Bump and Stacy at this link or in the player near the top of this story.
More on the Seattle Seahawks
• Seahawks Injuries: 4 questionable vs Ravens, no one ruled out
• Seahawks’ Carroll: How Williams trade came to be, what he brings
• Salk: Seattle Seahawks trade is a big statement — and a bet on Geno Smith
• Rost: 3 key things the Seattle Seahawks can prove against Ravens
• Bumpus: ‘Defense is the identity’ of the Seattle Seahawks right now
• K.J. Wright: What Seahawks get in adding Leonard Williams, who it helps