Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has quite the bandwagon brewing right now. Jackson started his NFL career surrounded by questions about his talent level as a quarterback. Some even suggested Jackson change his position to wide receiver instead.
After going 17-of-20 for 324 yards and five touchdown passes and posting a perfect 158.3 quarterback rating in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins, Jackson is at the top of the week’s talking points. He’s silenced his critics while putting himself in the early running for the league’s MVP award.
To continue that dominance, Jackson has earned the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award in just his eighth regular-season start.
In a quarterback-driven league, it’s no wonder the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Week was the only other signal caller with a perfect passer rating — Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott is eyeing up a new contract that should make him the highest-paid quarterback in the league. It’s a pretty great starting point for Jackson, who is in just his second season.
Some have put a caveat on Jackson’s performance, calling into question just how talented the Dolphins really are. But regardless of how good or bad Miami actually is, Jackson showed major strides in his mechanics and threw far more accurate passes at every level in Week 1. All of his deep throws showed great touch and were dropped into spots where only his guy could make the catch. Jackson also showed poise in the pocket when faced with some pressure, throwing a touchdown while moving backwards and on just one foot.
Jackson showed a lot of positives on Sunday and has earned himself the accolades that come with it. If he and the rest of the Ravens’ offense can continue to play at the level we saw in Week 1, they’re one of the most dangerous teams in the league this season.
