Griffin compares Ravens' running game to Jordan's fadeaway

Since quarterback Lamar Jackson took over behind center, the Baltimore Ravens' running game has surged.

Though opposing defenses expect the Ravens to move the ball on the ground, actually stopping them is still a struggle.

"I don't know if we can put Lamar Jackson in this rare air, but when Michael Jordan was playing, everybody knew he was going to shoot the fadeaway. But they still had to stop it," backup quarterback Robert Griffin III said, according to ESPN's Jamison Hensley. "Even if you know it's coming, you still have to tackle, you still have to make plays on the field. That's the mindset we have.

"When your talent is supposed to show, it'll show, just like when Michael was out there backing guys down and shooting the fadeaway. Sometimes, it's hard to stop."

Jackson became the primary signal-caller in Week 11. Since then, the Ravens have gone 6-1 and rushed for 1,607 yards - the third-most over an NFL team's last seven games in the Super Bowl era, according to ESPN Stats & Info. They've also averaged 19.4 more carries per game and 136.9 more rush yards per game, according to NFL.com.

"We already are sold on (the sustainability of the offense) or we wouldn't be running the offense," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of the team's run-option system. "We already believe that, and this is not some fly-by-night offense."

Baltimore's wild-card opponent is the Los Angeles Chargers, a team they beat 22-10 on Dec 22. The Ravens rushed for 159 yards against the Chargers, who will likely make adjustments in an attempt to contain the running game Sunday.

"We watch film just like they do," Jackson said. "So whatever they do, we're trying to match that or do better. It doesn't really matter."

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