Lamar Jackson showed why he’s MVP front-runner vs. Texans
Lamar Jackson produced another sensational performance to assert the Baltimore Ravens dominance in the AFC, as his team shut down the Houston Texans 41-7 on Sunday afternoon.
The Week 11 battle between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans wasn’t only hyped as a matchup between two of the best teams in the AFC, but it was also hyped as a matchup between two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
However, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens were on a different stratosphere on Sunday, as Baltimore won handily 41-7.
Jackson was resplendent again, picking up where he left off from a perfect QB Rating against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10, which followed a season-defining performance against the previously undefeated New England Patriots in Week 9.
Houston simply didn’t stand a chance against Jackson, who spread the ball around to nine different receivers. He finished with a QB Rating a hair under 140.0, completing 17-of-24 passes for 222 yards, 9.3 yards per pass attempt, four touchdowns, and no blemish of an interception.
Jackson’s ability to make plays while taking care of the football puts him in an elite class of quarterback that includes the likes of Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers, who have been in the league’s top five for years. Meanwhile, Jackson is merely in his first full season as a starting quarterback, making his accomplishments all the more impressive.
The former Heisman Trophy winner came into Week 11 with the ninth-best adjusted yards per pass attempt and 11th-most rushing yards in the NFL. He’s only added to his MVP resume with this crisp passing display and 86 rushing yards on only nine carries.
On top of that, Jackson added a few more highlight-reel plays to his list. He hit Mark Andrews for a 51-yard catch-and-run on 3rd-and-16 and had an incredible 39-yard run of his own earlier, providing fans with more examples of his unique ability to create something from nothing with either his arm or legs.
After this dominant win over the previously 6-3 Texans, the Ravens are 8-2 and look like the best team in the AFC. The Texans and Patriots were their two toughest challenges in the conference, and the Ravens beat both teams convincingly, flexing their defensive strength in the process.
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But what separates the Ravens from the rest of the crowd in the AFC is Jackson, who has established himself as the biggest star in a conference that boasts Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and the quarterback he thoroughly outdueled in Week 11, Deshaun Watson.
Jackson is the leading MVP candidate. Without him, the Ravens wouldn’t be 8-2. He has elevated a supporting cast that entered the season with question marks, and he has already emerged as the leader in Baltimore.
The 22-year-old always shows up in the Ravens biggest games, and by taking the spotlight from everyone else on the field, Jackson has nudged himself above Wilson in the heated MVP race.