Rashod Bateman starts for the Ravens

TAMPA, Fla. – It had to happen. One day Lamar Jackson and Rashod Bateman would click.

And when they did, on a Monday night in Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers, something clicked.

When Jackson tossed the ball across his body to Bateman, who put at least two yards of distance between two different defensive backs, it made for Bateman’s best 59-yard catch of his career, a beautiful sort of Lamar play and a signature Bateman route.

But the two didn’t stop there. Jackson has proven he can do it with a traditional drop back. On second-and-17 in the third quarter, Jackson waited patiently for Bateman to complete his route. The receiver sprinted down the right sideline and gained a good three yard lead over his opponent. Jackson released the ball and it floated through the air long enough for everyone’s hearts to pause, waiting to see if the throw would succeed the litter to finally make it to Bateman.

“Just catch the ball,” Bateman said to himself. “Whatever I have to do, I just have to catch the ball. I knew I was open. I thought I had accelerated out of the break so I just knew I was going to catch the ball… It hung for a minute but I did it; I caught it.”

And it led to a 49-yard touchdown.

“We’ve all talked about it,” coach John Harbaugh said. “You could see it in practice and even in games, track racing and everything, but you wanted to see it.”

For Bateman and his teammates, plays like these have always been Bateman’s calling card, he just couldn’t make them at the NFL level on game days.

“This is something that was created about me,” Bateman said. “I know what I can do. I’ve shown what I can do, so I’m not going to sit here and defend myself. I’m just going to continue to go out and play ball, day in and day out.”

Bateman’s progress has been hampered by injuries, making it difficult for him to find his footing – and to develop on-field chemistry with his quarterback – without the constant repetitions.

That changed this year when Bateman finally had a full offseason to train. He told The Banner that his main focus is simply staying healthy. Although none of his injuries were avoidable, he did his best in terms of nutrition and recovery. He also took a larger role in his own offseason training program and continued to perfect the strongest aspect of his game: his route running.

“He’s such an elite route runner,” tight end Charlier Kolar said. “His ability to drop his hips and get out of his cuts for his size is super impressive. And seeing him do it in games is like we’ve seen it a thousand times before. So it’s super cool to see him rewarded with a big game.”

In return, Jackson raised his game outside of practice by sending Bateman thoughts and film via texts.

The first six weeks showed that it worked. Bateman’s numbers fluctuated between 50 and 20 depending on distance – but that has become normal for receivers in this Ravens offense. Notably, Jackson began finding Bateman more often and in more critical situations, such as on third downs and in the red zone. Bateman had never scored more than two touchdowns in a season. Five weeks later he did it.

Seven weeks later, Jackson and Bateman finally made their breakthrough. Not only did they add his third touchdown, but they also broke a single-game record for Bateman. The receiver finished the game with four catches on four targets for a career-best 121 yards.

Bateman and Jackson have always spoken highly of each other to the media. They are both competitors and respect each other’s game. But their difficulty hitting the ball on high balls is well documented. According to PFF, Jackson’s miss rate when throwing against Bateman last season was the eighth highest in the league.

When they entered camp, the focus was on chemistry, and maybe they’ve finally found it.

“It definitely felt good,” Bateman said. “The media said that me and Lamar didn’t have a connection, but we do and we showed it tonight. I think we can show that well this season and have put a lot of work into it. A thank you to Lamar for delivering the ball. I appreciate you, 8.”