It’s been a season to remember for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. And as the regular season winds down, Jackson finds that he’ll be remembered forever after entering the NFL’s record books regardless of how the rest of his career goes.
Against the New York Jets in Week 15, Jackson officially broke Michael Vick’s single-season rushing record for quarterbacks, surpassing the 1,039-yard mark. With a five-yard run in the first quarter, Jackson has hit 1,044 rushing yards with 11 quarters still remaining this season.
It’s impossible to think of Jackson on the football field and not remember so many electric runs just this season. He’s made defender after defender look silly, juking would-be tacklers to see them whiff at thin air on the way to big gains. He’s continually wowed not only fans and teammates but his opponents as well. At a time when quarterbacks are often judged negatively for leaving the pocket, Jackson has proven to be this team’s biggest weapon, leading the Ravens and ranking ninth in the league in rushing yards while pushing Baltimore to the top-ranked offense in points scored.
Though Jackson had been on track to break Vick’s record this season, he was relatively unaffected by the monumental moment. When questioned about the idea of breaking an idol’s record, Jackson remained humble and kept his team-first attitude towards winning the game first and foremost.
Jackson is already the frontrunner for the league’s MVP award, according to oddsmakers. While Jackson’s legs have certainly earned him praise and plenty of television time as a human highlight reel, it’s not just been his rushing ability that has him considered the favorite to win the NFL’s most prestigious annual award. Jackson has developed quickly as a passer this season, coming into this game with the most passing touchdowns, the highest TD% and the fourth-best passer rating. He’s one of just three quarterbacks to ever post two perfect 158.3 rating games in a single season, matching Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger.
But with his name in the record books this season, it seems impossible anyone will be able to beat him for the annual award now. If you don’t believe that, you might want to avoid Ravens running back Mark Ingram . . .
