Will the Ravens Quarterback, Lamar Jackson, leave his legacy with Baltimore and the NFL by winning the Most Valuable Player award in 2019?
Lamar Jackson is only in his second season with the Baltimore Ravens and already is posting a MVP season. He has 2,889 passing yards this season along with 33 passing touchdowns, six interceptions, and a 112.8 passer rating. He is also sharing the load with Mark Ingram by rushing for 1,103 yards and 7 touchdowns on 159 carries. To put that in perspective he ran for 695 yards on 147 rushes in his first season. He also passes Michael Vick for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season against the Jets on Dec. 12.
Where it all started
Lamar Jackson became the fifth quarterback taken in the 2018 draft with the No. 32 pick after the Ravens made a trade to get back into the first round after taking Hayden Hurst with the 26th pick. Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Josh Rosen were all picks before Jackson; many believe that Jackson should make the transition to wide receiver or running back during the draft combine that season.
Jackson is a Quarterback out of the University of Louisville where he won the Heisman in 2016 and finished top-three in 2017. During his heisman campaign began it with a boom, starting off with eight touchdowns against the Charlotte 49ers. Jackson also posted two different games with one passing touchdown and four rushing touchdowns, one against Syracuse and one against No. 2 Florida State; this became his heisman moment. He made the Cardinals climb the rankings all the way up to the No. 3 ranking at one point during the season before finishing out at the No. 21 spot.
The Draft
Many scouts and GM’s saw Jackson’s athleticism and explosiveness from the offensive side of the ball, but not as a quarterback. Scouts said Jackson needed to make a move to wide receiver or running back to be successful in the NFL and that he did not possess the arm strength to fit into a teams scheme. Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens GM, and Co. thought otherwise of Lamar and traded up in the draft to select Lamar Jackson with the No. 32 pick.
Need a Change
The Ravens were reeling from subpar play from their former quarterback, Joe Flacco, and the offense. Flacco, a former Super Bowl winner, received a 120 million dollar contract after beating the 49ers in 2012. However with the retirement of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed soon after, the defense’s identity was no longer the teams. The strength of the defense became a problem, showing the inconsistency in the offense as well as Flacco’s game.
Baltimore’s offense needed a spark in many areas, receivers, running backs and tight ends. In the 2018 draft, the Ravens allot two picks to tight ends in Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews. Looking like the first round of the 2018 draft coming to a close, the Ravens make a last second trade to the Philadelphia Eagles. They take the chance on Lamar Jackson to have him back up Joe Flacco.
‘They are gonna get a Super Bowl out of me. Believe that.’
– Lamar Jackson following the 32nd pick in the 2018 draft
The 2018 season
Jackson appears in each of the 16 games during his rookie campaign. For the first half of the season, he mainly came in as a wildcat quarterback on designed run plays. Then Joe Flacco goes down against the Pittsburgh Steelers in week nine of the 2018 regular season, calling for the rookie to step in for the starter.
In relief, Jackson put the team on his back and the league on notice. In his first start against Cincinnati he put up 150 passing and 117 rushing yards in a 24-21 victory. Thus, starting his 6-1 starter campaign, with his only loss coming in OT against the future 2018 MVP Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. However he left a bad taste in the mouths of people after his dismal play against the Chargers in his first ever playoff game, losing 23-17.
Just 25 passing yards throughout the first three quarters of the game many doubters came to the forefront after the game. Doubters mention that Jackson could not make it in the league without being able to throw the ball.
The 2019 season
Lamar Jackson came into 2019 ready to stall the doubter’s minds. He opens his run with a 59-10 rout of the Miami Dolphins and becoming the youngest player ever to achieve a perfect passer rating. He completes 17 of 20 passes for 324 yards and five passing touchdowns.
‘Not bad for a running back’
– Lamar Jackson after his perfect passer rating against Miami
His five touchdowns, would be the first of three during the season thus far. His perfect passer rating would also be the first of two, making him the second only to achieve two in one season.
However after another quick win against the Cardinals, problems arose again as they began the season 2-2 after week four. Looking like another mediocre season ahead, head coach John Harbaugh let Jackson take reign of the team and lead. This leads to the 10-game win streak that the Ravens have currently achieved.
From week seven throughout week 12, Jackson and the defense went on a rampage, decimating teams with other MVP candidates. Jackson beat MVP candidate Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson, the undefeated New England Patriots, a top tier defense in the Rams and the NFC favorites the 49ers. This starts his showcase for the MVP consideration, showing how deadly his legs are, but how deadly his arm became.
Baltimore beat the Jets on Dec. 12 while Jackson broke the record for most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback. This also locks up the AFC North for them and now are in contention for hosting the playoffs as the AFC No. 1 seed.
The Future
Now in the MVP conversation and the best record in the league at 12-2, what does it look like for the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson?
After locking up the AFC North, the Ravens are now the favorites to match up in the Super Bowl. Lamar Jackson seems to have the MVP race in hand against Russell Wilson and others. However, what makes this team so dangerous?
The Ravens are No. 2 in total yards with the No. 1 rushing attack in the NFL. Baltimore suffers though as the No. 26 team in passing yards being just north of 250 ypg. This does not mean they are bad passing, however they do not pass with only 27 attempts per game. The attempts are the lowest among any team in the league but have the most passing touchdowns with 34. The Ravens defense is also No. 6 in the league in total ypg, and top-10 in both passing and rushing yards allowed.
Lamar Jackson? Electric. Ravens offense? Explosive. The defense? Dominant. What more can this Ravens team do to gain respect from the league? Has Lamar Jackson ended the MVP race and has he shut out the doubters? The players, league, doubters and the world will soon find out.
