This will be Jackson's first encounter with Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores as a play caller since 2021, when he was head coach of the Dolphins. In November of that year, the Dolphins defeated the Ravens, 22-10, after Flores deployed a plethora of blitzes that held Baltimore to a season-low 10 points. Jackson was sacked four times, and Baltimore's offense was rendered largely ineffective.
Over the last four years, the Ravens have developed more answers for the blitz, and what transpired when facing Flores four years ago was part of the process.
"We certainly remember that game," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "It definitely was a key game in the evolution of the offense, for sure.
"They still run some of those blitzes, but they're much more evolved now. … You have to be prepared for everything. Offensively, we have all the tools to do that. Lamar, he's been doing well with that really for a long time now, but we're going to have to be on point."
It will be a game of cat-and-mouse, with Jackson trying to anticipate when the Vikings might blitz, where the pressure may come from, and where it will leave them vulnerable. The intense crowd noise at U.S. Bank Stadium will make it a greater challenge for the Ravens' offense to communicate once breaking the huddle.
The Ravens are getting accustomed to that intense noise throughout the week, blaring the Vikings' signature Gjallarhorn sound at practice.
"I think at home, that's something that they really play into – the idea that the [opposing] offense is going to have a tough time communicating and see if they can get the offense on their heels and get them discombobulated," Harbaugh said. "We're going to work really hard to not allow that to happen."