Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson put himself within the driver’s seat for the NFL MVP award on Christmas Day when he outshined San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
He might need utterly wrapped it up on Sunday with one other dominant efficiency within the Ravens’ 56-19 win over the Miami Dolphins.
The win locks up the No. 1 seed, a first-round bye and home-field benefit all through the AFC playoffs for the Ravens, and in addition provides them a chance to relaxation some starters of their Week 18 recreation in opposition to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It additionally might need secured Jackson’s second NFL MVP award.
Jackson was masterful on Sunday, finishing 18-of-21 passes for 321 yards, 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.
That efficiency provides him 24 touchdowns to solely seven interceptions for the season, and doesn’t even start to keep in mind what he is ready to do within the working recreation together with his toes.
That side of Jackson’s recreation has at all times been a game-changer for him, however below first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken the Ravens’ passing recreation has actually began to excel whereas Jackson has performed a number of the best soccer of his profession.
The Ravens have now received 10 of their previous 11 video games and have one of many league’s greatest offenses, averaging 29.5 factors per recreation for the season. They’ve additionally scored no less than 30 factors in eight of their previous 10 video games.
What makes Jackson’s efficiency and all of these numbers so unimaginable is that Baltimore has had some main accidents on offense, together with a season-ending harm to star tight finish Mark Andrews, and does not actually have many influence gamers round him.
Rookie vast receiver Zay Flowers seems like an rising star, however continues to be a piece in progress. After that, there should not lots of game-changers on that aspect of the ball exterior of Jackson. He has put the offense on his again and carried it to the highest of the AFC.
It should nearly actually make him a two-time MVP. Now the problem might be for the Ravens to really do one thing within the playoffs, which has been a significant battle all through the Jackson period and for the previous decade general in Baltimore.
