Remember the kid out of Louisville that no one thought he could play quarterback? Teams didn’t want to draft him and thought he would be a better running back or receiver. So quickly do we forget that 31 other teams had no faith in Lamar Jackson when he was selected 32nd overall by the Baltimore Ravens. The two-time MVP had another season for the ages that may have surpassed both of his MVP campaigns. Jackson led the Ravens to a 12-5 record, the No. 3 seed, an AFC North title, and is looking to improve on his 2-4 career playoff record.
Lamar Jackson’s 2024 By the Numbers
It seems every week, Lamar Jackson is putting up video game-type numbers. It’s like someone is playing Madden on rookie difficulty and dominating with No. 8 on the Baltimore Ravens. He has quickly become one of the most electrifying athletes in the world. Not only can he beat you with his elusive speed, but the Ravens found out quickly that if you give him some weapon receivers, he can beat you through the air as well. Just ask receiver Zay Flowers! Flowers became the first Ravens’ receiver in team history to make a Pro Bowl.
Flowers wasn’t the only player to hit a first this season. Lamar Jackson became the first player in NFL history to throw 40+ touchdowns in a season with 4 or fewer interceptions. He was the first player in NFL history to throw for 40+ touchdowns and have 600+ rushing yards. Hell, he destroyed that number and also makes him the first to get 800+ rushing yards with that accolade. Hmmm, let’s see what else he did!
He was also the first player in NFL history to average 8.5 yards per pass and 6 yards per carry in the same season! Oh, by the way, he was 3-0 against two of the best five quarterbacks in the league, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen. In these three games, he only threw 10 touchdowns with no interceptions.
The 2024 Season Surpasses MVP Years For Jackson
How is it possible to have two MVP Awards, yet neither season was as good as your latest? That’s exactly what happened with Lamar Jackson. The dual-threat quarterback had better numbers this season than he did in his previous MVP campaigns! The emergence of young receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman alongside veteran Tight End Mark Andrews proved that with the right weapons in place, Jackson can flourish. The addition of “King Henry” in the backfield shut the doubters up real quick. Henry and Jackson have been in the MVP conversation this entire season.
In his 2019 MVP season, Jackson had 3,127 passing yards with 36 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions with a career-high 1,206 rushing yards. Not to mention 7 rushing touchdowns! His next MVP season in 2023 saw the now-veteran quarterback throwing for 3,678 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. This time he would run for 821 yards with 5 touchdowns. So does it make sense for Lamar Jackson to get snubbed on his third MVP for a career-best season?
Final Thoughts
Lamar Jackson has officially surpassed Michael Vick as the greatest dual-threat quarterback of all time. Vick fell short of winning a Super Bowl, and that’s what hangs over Jackson’s head. Jackson is 2-4 in the playoffs, which the haters like to dwell on.
The addition of Derrick Henry to the offense has only helped free up space for Jackson to do his thing. The Ravens will face division rival Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. It will be a classic AFC North battle. Is this the year Lamar puts it all together and wins his first Super Bowl? Voters may have voting fatigue but he deserves his third MVP over Josh Allen. “Men lie, women lie, but numbers don’t!”
