The Lamar Jackson – Mark Andrews connection is as strong as ever

Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews are in sync as much as ever.

Much drama was made at the beginning of the season. The All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews, who had become known as Lamar Jackson’s top target, did not have a strong start. The first four weeks were especially tough.

Andrews started slowly with 14 yards Week 1 while his running mate Isaiah Likely went for over 100 yards and a touchdown. Over the next four weeks, Andrews would barely get over 100 yards altogether, catching eight balls on 12 targets with a couple drops in those games.

The buzz grew exponentially. National media segments questioned if Andrews was washed. The fantasy football community was staggered, dropping and trading Andrews off their teams as fast as they could. Trade talks started, even from within the fanbase where people questioned why the Ravens held onto him with Likely on the team. These talks would be silenced quickly.

In Week 6, the Ravens faced the Washington Commanders. On their first drive, Andrews dropped a pass that led to an interception. After that, he caught three passes for 66 yards and his first touchdown of the season. After his first five games, Andrews’s next five games delivered 237 yards on 20 catches and five touchdowns. The biggest difference? His target share. During the first five games, Andrews received 15 targets, catching 10 of them. In the next five, he was targeted 22 times and caught 20.

It’s important to remember the timeline. Andrews’ regular season last year was cut short after a brutal leg injury in Week 11 against the Bengals. He proceeded to miss the rest of the season including a divisional round playoff game. He returned during the AFC championship game, a mere two months removed, but didn’t look the same. Then during training camp, he was in a car accident that robbed him of weeks of time.

It was always only a matter of time until the tight end got going again. Jackson and Andrews have always had a special connection, often talking about having a “street ball” or “backyard”-like feeling together. That duo sees the field very similarly, often finding each other off-script or improvising.

Look no further than Week 10. Isaiah Likely was out with an injury. Imagine if the Ravens had traded Andrews earlier as people had discussed. They’d have been left with Charlie Kolar and one of the practice squad tight ends in a close offensive shootout with the Bengals. While Kolar has taken a leap this season, he’s not nearly the dynamic receiver that Andrews or Likely is. The Jackson-Andrews connection proved invaluable, once again, during that game.

This was a pivotal late-game touchdown in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Many people also noticed the odd route that Andrews ran and questioned the concept of the play. After the game, Andrews confirmed what many suspected, that he improvised the route, once again showing off that unique connection between him and Jackson.

Lamar Jackson talked about it after the game as well, when asked about his connection with Mark Andrews. The way he talks about it shows how much Andrews matters to the continued success of this offense and team.

The Lamar Jackson-Mark Andrews connection is as strong as ever. With a struggling defense, a top offense is needed if the Ravens have any hope of a deep playoff run. The talk of trading Mark Andrews was silly. He’s a key cog in this team and ever parting with him would be a bad decision. He should be a Raven for life.