Against the Bills in Week 1, Jackson and Henry showcased why they are two of the top 10 players in the NFL. Jackson threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns and added 70 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He averaged more than 10 yards per pass and carry. Henry added 169 rushing yards and two touchdowns, building off a 1,900-plus yard rushing season in 2024. Henry rattled off two 30-plus rushing touchdowns while Jackson's two passing touchdowns were both more than 20 yards, showcasing the pair's ability to break off big plays.
According to CB Denzel Ward, the defense doing their job is the Browns' key to stopping the explosive plays from Baltimore. Some of these explosive plays come from Jackson's ability to extend plays with his legs, a trait Schwartz has prepared his players for.
"Coach (Jim) Schwartz, has been doing a great job, and our coaches have been doing a great job of telling the guys that and telling us that we have to keep playing," Ward said. "This is a guy that's been able to extend plays, and you have to keep rushing and keep playing, keep covering until they blow that whistle, until the play is completely over."
In 2023 and 2024, Jackson led quarterbacks in rushing yards, finishing with 821 and 915 yards, respectively. Ward said that Jackson has the ability to run around and hold onto the ball, making a play last longer than it normally would with another quarterback playing. Head coach Kevin Stefanski talked about the difficulty of getting prepared to play Jackson.
"(Lamar Jackson's) a great player. He's physically gifted. Like we talked about before, he can beat you with his arm, with his legs, and beat you from the pocket, outside the pocket. So, we understand the challenge. It doesn't make it easy," Stefanski said. "You practice hard against a look that you're trying to show what he can do, but it's impossible to replicate that."