In July, about a week before the start of Ravens training camp, coach John Harbaugh told Lamar Jackson he thought the quarterback could be better.

Better than Jackson was last year when he won his second NFL Most Valuable Player award. Better than any other quarterback in the league. Better than any other quarterback league history.

“The vision that we have together is that Lamar Jackson will become, be known and be recognized as the greatest quarterback to ever play in the history of the National Football League,” Harbaugh said in mid-July. “This is the vision. It will happen through Lamar, his work ethic and his brilliant talent, through all of us pouring into that effort together as a team, and through God’s grace and God’s goodness. That’s how it will happen. And I think I’ve already seen it.”

Harbaugh’s grand vision came to life. Ahead of Sunday’s AFC North showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jackson isn’t just the prohibitive favorite to repeat as NFL MVP. It’s also better than last year in almost every way. Weaknesses turned into strengths and strengths into superpowers.

Jackson was “intended to play as well as he can overall,” Harbaugh said Monday, and his development in coordinator Todd Monken’s offense almost protected his game. Jackson is elite when pressured and when not pressured, elite in the shotgun and under center, elite in off-the-numbers and inside-the-numbers throws.

“Everything is just slowing down,” he said last month of his rise, and the defense has yet to catch up. The Ravens have the best offense in the NFL, with no close second; the gap between them and second-ranked Washington in DVOA, Opponent-adjusted efficiency value of FTNthat’s more than the spread between the Chiefs and the 14th-ranked Philadelphia Eagles.

“Obviously, we’re not perfect,” wide receiver Rashod Bateman said Wednesday. “We won some and lost some. But I definitely think we’ve shown the ability to beat anybody.”

Jackson’s adaptability is key to the Ravens’ backbone. His complete development last year turned him into one of the NFL’s most productive passers (2,669 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and two interceptions) in nearly every scenario imaginable. Here’s a look at how Jackson has improved against a wide range of coverages, with specific types of throws, in different game situations and against pressure – and how those gains have stacked up in recent NFL history.

COATING

In his first six seasons in Baltimore, Jackson he sometimes struggled to cope with the looks of heavy pressure. Even last year, he wilted against “Cover 0” (man-to-man with heavy pressure and no lying defenders), going 13-for-27 for 90 yards, according to TruMedia.

This year, with a better command of the offense and another year of chemistry with his receivers, Jackson had answers for every defensive call. Among the dozen quarterbacks who attempted at least 20 passes against a coverage in a 2020 season, Jackson ranks in the 83rd percentile against Cover 0 in expected points added per pass attempt, 89th percentile to Cover 1, 92nd. percentile vs. Cover 2, 97th percentile vs. Cover 3, 99th percentile vs. Cover 4, and 100th percentile vs. Cover 6.

Last year, Jackson ranked above the 90th percentile on just one look: Cover 2 (94th).

Types of throws

Jackson can make any kind of throw.

Need something quick? The The Ravens’ rejuvenated screen game was one of the best in the NFL, and Jackson’s EPA per throw attempt in 2.5 seconds or less this season is the highest for a qualified quarterback since 2020. He is also in the percentile 100 in short throws (from 0 to 9 meters down) .

Do you have to wait for something to develop? That’s good too. The elusive Jackson ranks in the 96th percentile on pass attempts that come at least four seconds after the snap and in the 62nd percentile on passes of at least 20 yards through the air.

Need something near the edge? Jackson has the strength and accuracy to help. He’s in the 100th percentile in throws outside the numbers, all while remaining as ruthless as ever up the middle. (Yes, he’s also in the 100th percentile in tossing between the numbers.)

Game situations

It doesn’t matter where Jackson is. He found ways to make the Ravens’ passing game work.

In throws from inside the pocket, he ranks in the 100th percentile among qualified 2020 quarterbacks, up from 48th last year. On throws inside the red zone, he is in the 99th percentile, up from 60th last year.

Play-action remains a cheat code for Jackson (100th percentile), but now he’s also elite in dropbacks without run fakes (100th percentile).

The arrival of running back Derrick Henry also weakened the Ravens’ passing attack under center, raising Jackson’s EPA per attempt from the 80th percentile to the 93rd.

Under pressure

Jackson, unsurprisingly, dominated when not pressured or hit, ranking in the 100th percentile in both categories this season.

But Jackson also handled the heat. He is in the 99th percentile when pressured, a notable improvement from his 2023 mark (75th percentile), and in the 99th percentile when under pressure, a much more dramatic change (38th percentile).

Reducing Jackson’s pressure fueled his increasing efficiency. Last year, according to Pro Football Focus, defenses turned 18.2 percent of Jackson’s pressures into sacks. Now they convert just 11.7%, a 95th percentile mark. Jackson’s overall sack rate this season is just 4.3 percent, a career low and one of the league’s best marks.