The talk this season about Lamar Jackson has been much quieter than it has been about players like Brock Purdy, Dak Prescott, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen.
Maybe it’s time to turn up the volume more on the Baltimore Ravens quarterback.
Related: NFL QB rankings: Where does Lamar Jackson rank?
Lamar Jackson, who was the 2019 NFL MVP, is almost flown under the radar while leading the Ravens to the NFL’s best record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC with three weeks to go in the regular season.
But the NFL’s ultimate dual-threat quarterback is having another MVP-caliber season heading into the Christmas night showdown against the NFC-leading San Francisco 49ers.
While his passing numbers fall short of the aforementioned quarterbacks in most categories, Lamar Jackson has still been extremely efficient and effective when throwing the football.
Lamar Jackson still the best running QB
Of course, along with his passing, Lamar Jackson is still the leading rusher among all quarterbacks with 741 yards, nearly 200 yards more than the nearest quarterback, Hurts. Jackson is on pace to reach 900 rushing yards, his most since the 2020 season.
The Ravens, who lead the NFL in rushing, have relied on Jackson’s passing more than they have during his career. He’s already matched his career high in passing attempts, and he’s only 22 yards shy of his career high for passing yards in a season.
Related: NFL defense rankings: Ravens, 49ers among the top three
The 49ers, who are third in the NFL against the run, will challenge Lamar Jackson’s scrambling ability. To beat the 49ers, Jackson will need to do it mostly through the air, throwing to rookie receiver Zay Flowers, who’s been a huge bright spot, veteran Odell Beckham Jr., and tight end Isaiah Lively, who’s played a bigger role in the passing game with Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews out for the season.
Lamar Jackson has the Ravens in the driver’s seat in the AFC. If he beats the 49ers on Christmas day, he could become the talk of the NFL.