Cardinals face tough task in trying to defend Ravens and Lamar Jackson

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Lamar Jackson’s excellence was at its apex in last week’s dominant win over the Lions. The Baltimore Ravens quarterback threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score.

Now the reeling Arizona Cardinals have to try to find a way to stop him.

The Ravens (5-2) have won two straight games heading into Sunday’s road matchup with the Cardinals (1-6), who have dropped four in a row.

The 26-year-old Jackson is arguably having his best season since his MVP year in 2019. He has completed a career-high 71% of his passes for 1,610 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s also run for 363 yards and five scores.

“His skillset makes him extremely hard to defend and he’s playing at a really high level right now,” Cardinals first-year coach Jonathan Gannon said. “We’ve got to make sure that we’re on the rules and responsibilities of how we’re trying to defend him in the run and pass game to give ourselves a chance.”

The Cardinals have faded after a somewhat encouraging start to the season. Arizona was expected to be among the worst teams in the league, but played well for much of the first three weeks, losing two tight games before a surprising win over Dallas.

Since then, the Cardinals have regressed, losing their past four games by an average of more than two touchdowns. Gannon has adjusted the playing time for several of his defensive players — particularly in the secondary — in an attempt to identify the players who give Arizona the best chance to win.

Two-time All Pro safety Budda Baker returned last week after missing five games with a hamstring injury, providing some stability. The Cardinals will lean on him when trying to slow Jackson.

“We’re looking for consistency, playmaking and doing the right thing as much as you can,” Gannon…