Ravens MVP of the week: Lamar Jackson

Week 6 of the NFL season saw the Baltimore Ravens improve to 4-2 with a divisional win over the Cincinnati Bengals. For what feels like most of Baltimore’s wins this season, the talk of the game was the play of quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Jackson has shown the ability to do what’s needed to win this year, whether that be passing the ball or as a runner. En route to a 23-17 victory, Jackson set a regular season NFL record, becoming the first quarterback to pass for over 200 yards while rushing for over 150 yards.

Jackson set the tone early by picking up 36 yards on the ground on the second play of Baltimore’s first drive. He finished the opening drive with a 21-yard touchdown run. Cincinnati was unable to hold the edge effectively against the Ravens, giving Jackson huge running lanes for a majority of the day.

One of the most critical plays of the day came from Jackson in the fourth quarter. Leading by 10 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Baltimore needed to drain the clock with a long drive offensively. After picking up multiple first downs and taking several minutes off of the clock already, the drive was in jeopardy when the offense was faced with a 3rd & 14. With over eight minutes remaining in regulation, picking up the first down would be crucial to winning the game. After dropping back to pass, Jackson tucked the ball and ran straight up the middle for the first down.

The drive continued for several more minutes before ending in a field goal, extending the lead to 23-10 with now only 3:46 left on the clock. The play was just one example of Jackson extending drives with his legs on Sunday to help ensure the victory. The second-year quarterback showed poise throughout the game, protecting the football and managing the clock perfectly. Jackson completed 21 out of 33 passes for 236 yards while rushing 19 times for 152 yards and a touchdown.