Lamar Jackson entered Week 15 as the substantial betting favorite to win the 2019 NFL MVP award and the Baltimore Ravens quarterback has been incredible this season in leading his team to a (very) favorable position. With that in mind, there was plenty of incentive to watch Thursday’s gave between the Ravens and the New York Jets, even with Baltimore entering the proceedings as a 17-point home favorite. Jackson, as one of the best and most exciting players in the league, is always worth the price of admission but, in this particular spot, the 22-year-old made individual history.
Jackson entered the night with 1,017 rushing yards in 2019, averaging nearly 80 yards per game from the quarterback position. That placed him just 23 yards short of the single-season rushing record for a quarterback, set by Michael Vick in 2006, and the widespread assumption was that Jackson would surpass the mark (with two games remaining in the season) against New York in prime time.
Jackson’s first carry went for 20 yards, setting up the history-making moment just a few minutes later. Midway through the first quarter, Jackson put together a five-yard carry, helping the Ravens score a touchdown later in the drive and leaping into the record book for good measure.
The moment @lj_era8 broke the record‼️ pic.twitter.com/aGUkOAer9K
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 13, 2019
Given that he has more time left in the season, it seems safe to assume that Jackson will put some distance between himself and everyone else in this particular category. Only time will tell on how many yards Jackson will compile on the ground but, in the meantime, he is in a class of his own.
