Quarterback Lamar Jackson remained a contender to earn MVP honors for the third time in his career as he guided his Baltimore Ravens to a dominant 31-2 win over the Houston Texans on Christmas Day.
Jackson also broke the record for career rushing yards accumulated by a quarterback previously held by Michael Vick. After the victory, the 27-year-old, who has recorded a total of 6,110 yards on the ground, spoke about making history.
“It feels unreal, to be honest with you,” Jackson said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “I’m grateful because that’s a record that’s been there for a long time. Michael Vick is one of my favorite players. That’s just dope.”
Baltimore’s win coupled with the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs left the 11-5 Ravens all by themselves atop the AFC North standings. To claim the division title, Baltimore will simply need to notch a victory over the lowly Cleveland Browns (3-12) in Week 18.
As for Jackson, StatMuse shows he leads the NFL for the season with 4,807 combined passing and rushing yards. He’s also first with 43 combined passing and rushing touchdowns. Per ESPN stats, Jackson leads the league with a 77.7 adjusted QBR and a 121.6 passer rating.
Jackson joked earlier in the week that he was “gonna go out there and watch” Beyonce perform during the halftime show. Those associated with the Texans probably wish he was a little distracted on Wednesday afternoon.
“I was locked in,” Jackson said about how he spent halftime of the Houston game. “I was in here in the locker room preparing for the second half.”
As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Jackson second among the betting favorites at +180 odds to claim the MVP Award. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen topped the list at -240 odds.
“I told him I was proud of him,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said about Jackson surpassing Vick’s mark. “I’m not just proud of him just because he makes great plays. I’m proud of him for all the things that go into making great plays and also for all the things he’s overcome along the way.”
