Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson put up a statement performance against fellow NFL MVP candidate Brock Purdy Christmas night.
Jackson entered said game with the second-best odds to win the top individual award. By virtue of his performance and Purdy throwing four interceptions, Jackson took over as the favorite to win his second career MVP award.
Well, he pretty much clinched it during Sunday’s eye-opening 56-19 win over the Miami Dolphins. Yes, Baltimore scored 56 points against a Dolphins team that entered Week 17 with an 11-4 record and still in the running for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Jackson was absolutely brilliant, completing 18-of-21 passes for 321 yards with five touchdowns and zero interceptions. Everything he did on New Year’s Eve came out smelling like roses. We’re not even kidding. Just look at the game’s best quarterback do his thing as Baltimore clinched home-field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs.
You need another example?
- Lamar Jackson stats (2023): 67% completion, 3,678 passing yards, 821 rushing yards, 29 total TD, 7 INT
Jackson’s dual-threat ability is by now well known. But his performance on Sunday in a blowout win over Miami displayed what he can actually do through the air. Some had been critical of that regarding Jackson earlier in his career. This can now be thrown out the window.
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Lamar Jackson set to win 2nd career NFL MVP
Purdy played well in San Francisco’s 27-10 win over Washington Sunday. The sophomore signal caller completed 22-of-28 passes for 230 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. It was a rebound performance. It also led to Purdy breaking the 49ers’ single-season record for passing yards.
Despite this, there is now not any question that Jackson is the league’s MVP. His performance in a win over the 49ers Christmas Night started the trend.
Jackson completed 23-of-35 passes for 252 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions in the Ravens’ surprising 33-19 win over San Francisco. As noted above, Purdy put up a career-worst performance with four interceptions.
Other top NFL MVP candidates did not do anything to narrow the gap between these two and themselves during NFL Week 17, either.
Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen completed just 15-of-30 passes for 169 yards with zero touchdowns and one interception in an ugly 27-21 win over the bad New England Patriots.
Star 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey gained just 64 yards prior to exiting with an injury Sunday against the Commanders.
Boasting the fourth-best odds to win the NFL MVP, Tua Tagovailoa was not good as his Dolphins were blown out by Jackson’s Ravens. That included throwing two interceptions before suffering a shoulder injury late in the game.
All of this equates to Lamar Jackson being the runaway winner of the league’s MVP once the NFL Honors are held in February.