Ravens QB Lamar JacksonLeslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Surging Ravens May Vault Lamar Jackson to the Top of the MVP Race
For most of the season, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has felt like the logical pick for league MVP. Allen has had a stellar season and has almost single-handedly carried Buffalo to one of the league’s best records.
Since Baltimore’s Week 14 bye, however, the Ravens have been one of the hottest teams in football, rattling off decisive wins over the New York Giants, Steelers, and now, the Texans. That surge could be enough to allow Lamar Jackson to repeat as league MVP.
Statistically, Jackson is deserving. Coming into Week 17, he had already passed for more yards (3,787) and touchdowns (37) than he had a year ago. He had a league-high 120.6 passer rating—also better than last year’s (102.7)—and he moved past last year’s rushing-yardage total on Wednesday.
And Jackson (166 passing yards, 2 TDs, 87 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD) was again impressive against Houston. He didn’t produce gaudy passing numbers, as the Ravens dished out a heavy helping of Derrick Henry, but he repeatedly flashed his MVP-level ability.
Jackson ripped off a 48-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, and his second-quarter touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely was a masterclass on escapability.
If Jackson does creep past Allen and win the MVP, however, won’t just be about the players themselves. The simple reality is that Baltimore looks like a more legitimate title contender than Buffalo right now.
Yes, the Bills stole a win over the Detroit Lions two weeks ago, but they also narrowly avoided the lowly New England Patriots in Week 16. The Ravens, by comparison, are rolling in all phases.
Jackson and Henry lead one of the league’s most lethal offenses, and Baltimore’s defense has gotten better throughout the season. It was stout against the run from the beginning, but a pass defense that was suspect early is no longer a complete liability.
The Ravens harassed C.J. Stroud and smothered the Texans offense throughout Wednesday’s game.
Baltimore is a scary-good team, and Jackson is playing the best ball of his career. That may ultimately not be enough for him to win MVP, but it might get him something better—a ring.
Texans Beginning to Look Like a Postseason Footnote
There are a couple of other reasons why Jackson has a case to win MVP over Allen. For one, Jackson and the Ravens steamrolled Buffalo when the two teams met in Week 4. Secondly, the Texans, who had no answers for Jackson on Wednesday, beat the Bills in a close Week 5 matchup.
Of course, Houston has endured a lot since that win over Buffalo. The Texans lost Stefon Diggs to a torn ACL three weeks later, and they recently lost receiver Tank Dell to a torn ACL and dislocated kneecap.
Injuries have also been a problem for the offensive line, which was without center Juice Scruggs and guard Shaq Mason against Baltimore. With a receiving corps short on depth and a line incapable of consistently protecting Stroud, the Texans offense has floundered.
Stroud’s decline in efficiency—his passer rating dropped from 100.8 as a rookie to 87.7 through 16 weeks—hasn’t helped matters.
Wednesday’s score might indicate otherwise, but Houston’s defense is still very good. Unfortunately, this version of the Texans isn’t a complete team and isn’t capable of matching points with the AFC’s elite. Houston mustered just 19 points against Kansas City last Saturday and looked like it didn’t belong on the same field as Baltimore.
Houston has already clinched the AFC South, and it might be able to beat a team like Pittsburgh or the Denver Broncos at home. Winning a game in Buffalo, Baltimore or Kansas City? That’s probably not happening.
Things could change, of course. If the line gets healthier and recent waiver addition Diontae Johnson can provide some punch to the passing attack, the Texans could be formidable again. Right now, though, Houston is playing like one of the weaker teams in the AFC field.
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