Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh hasn’t decided if Lamar Jackson will play in Week 18, but it likely doesn’t matter when it comes to the NFL Most Valuable Player award.
Jackson all but locked up his second MVP in five years with his five-touchdown performance in Sunday’s 56-19 dismantling of the visiting Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Jackson, who assumed the lead in the MVP race following last week’s win at San Francisco, is now the -10000 favorite at BetMGM and -20000 favorite at DraftKings.
His closest competitors are Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, who is +1800 at both books, and 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who is being offered at +2500 by BetMGM and +3000 by DraftKings.
Jackson’s main wart on his MVP resume had been modest passing stats, which included 19 touchdown passes through the first 15 games. He squashed that by throwing five against the Dolphins. That brings his total to 24, which would match the lowest total for an MVP-winning quarterback set by Tennessee’s Steve McNair.
Whether Jackson will have an opportunity to build on that total in the regular-season finale remains to be seen. The Ravens have clinched the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
For his part, Jackson wants to play. Baltimore has a bye week ahead of its first playoff game, and Jackson recalled last week that the Ravens were upset in their playoff opener in his first MVP season in 2019.
“I’ve given a lot of thought to it, and it was all hypothetical until just now,” Harbaugh said about Jackson’s status for Week 18 following the Dolphins’ game. “I’m sure I’ll talk to Lamar, and I’m sure he’s going to want to play. But, we’re going to have to talk about that and decide what we want to do. You can only take six players out of the equation. There’s going to be injuries anyway, so it’s not like the preseason. You’re playing your team except for whoever you end up taking out.
“We’re going to have to have the conversation. We have not made any decision there yet.”
In addition to 24 touchdown passes and 3,678 passing yards, Jackson has rushed for 821 yards and another five scores through 16 games.
Ironically, it was the Steelers that Jackson sat out against in the 2019 regular-season finale, only for the Ravens to struggle offensively in an AFC Divisional Round upset to Tennessee.
“We remember 2019. It’s not something we’re going to forget,” Harbaugh said. “You’re not going to take it for granted. Not that we ever would, but it’s one more thing that makes you who you are at this point in time. We haven’t forgotten that.”
–Field Level Media