Ahead of the 2023 NFL regular season, I, along with my dear friends RJ Ochoa and JP Acosta, Some season predictions for episodes of Monday Football Monday. Our list of predictions included who would be MVP at the end of the season, and JP insisted on Lamar Jackson.
It seems that he was right in his prediction. If you'd like to hear the receipt, it's about the hour mark of the episode linked above.
Jackson almost held up the trophy with both hands for his performance in Sunday's away game. miami dolphins, the Ravens quarterback completed 18 of 21 passes for 321 yards and five touchdowns without throwing an interception. With this win, the Ravens secured first place in the AFC and secured a spot in Super Bowl III via M&T Bank Stadium.
Head coach John Harbaugh said of the quarterback, “He played complete football in terms of the passing game.”
In fact, Jackson may have won the MVP award because of his flawless performances over the past two weeks, the two biggest games of the season for Baltimore. On Christmas night, the Ravens traveled to San Francisco. 49ers, and MVP candidate Brock Purdy. While San Francisco's quarterback struggled, throwing four interceptions in his worst game of the season, Jackson shined. Baltimore's signal caller completed 23 of 35 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns against San Francisco.
So, adding in his performance against Miami, Jackson completed 41 of 56 passes for 573 yards, seven touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also added 13 rushing attempts for 80 yards, averaging 6.2 yards per attempt.
For those who believe in NFL passer ratings, those two games against two of the league's best teams have a rating of 145.31.
In fact, if you want to shore up the argument that Jackson was the best against the league's best players, consider this. The Ravens currently play nine games against teams in the playoffs. In those nine games, Jackson completed 166-of-249 passes (66.7%) for 2,292 yards and 19 touchdowns with just four interceptions. Also in those games, he has 85 rushing attempts for an additional 506 yards and four touchdowns.
Sunday's game against the Dolphins was perhaps the perfect closing argument for Jackson. He was outstanding against Miami, hurting opposing defenses with numerous downfield passing concepts and helping the Ravens break out of games. There was a slot fade to Odell Beckham Jr., and Jackson evaded a little pressure in the pocket and threaded it in the perfect spot for the receiver.
Gus Edwards scored on the next snap from 1 yard left to give Baltimore a 14-10 lead, the first game of the afternoon.
Moments later, Jackson connected with rookie WR Zay Flowers on this vertical route, taking advantage of the quarterback's bust opportunity in the secondary.
The Dolphins are in zone coverage and the outside cornerback loses sight of Flowers, creating a huge opportunity for the Ravens. Jackson took advantage of this and connected with the rookie wide receiver on a deep throw downfield, which led to Flowers scoring a 75-yard touchdown.
But while those plays stood out, it was the connection between Jackson and Isaiah Lilly late in the second quarter that served as the exclamation point. After a two-minute warning, Baltimore continued its attack at the Dolphins' 35-yard line on fourth-and-7 yards, with the Ravens holding a 21-13 lead.
When Miami applies pressure, Jackson faces an unblocked defender on the right edge. Jackson can do enough to avoid being sacked and get enough points on throws that can break toward the right sideline, which he can also put in perfect position.
After 35 yards, the Ravens reached the end zone and Baltimore took control.
This season's MVP race has been full of twists and turns, with various candidates making their best claims leading up to the holiday season. Christian McCaffrey and Brock Purdy made their case from the West Coast, and Dak Prescott entered the conversation looking to win the game. seattle seahawkssomething was missing from his resume.
Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill, two players Jackson and the Ravens played against on Sunday, also had their moments. Josh Allen has improved a bit in recent weeks, and there were even moments when it looked like a defensive player like Myles Garrett could win MVP.
But watching Lamar Jackson play over the past two weeks against two of the best teams in the league, it appears the case is settled.
Thanks to Jackson's perfect closing argument.
