Four Verts: Is it really the case that no one attempted to wrangle Lamar Jackson from the Ravens?
To everyone who witnessed their squad win this weekend, a belated Merry Christmas. The Baltimore Ravens’ victory over the 49ers in San Francisco this week caused another upheaval in the MVP odds.
It’s a terrific way to close off the season by giving a fresh perspective on what Baltimore’s No. 8 team is capable of this season.
Two weeks from securing his second MVP title in five seasons, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is once again dictating the landscape of the NFL.
Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes have also been awarded multiple MVP honors since Jackson was selected in the 2018 NFL Draft.
That’s uncommon air, dispelling whatever uncertainty Jackson could have had about his quarterbacking prowess prior to entering the NFL.
Jackson is on pace to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the conclusion of his career, as he has the opportunity to become only the 11th player in league history to win multiple MVP honors.
Although Jackson’s season is amazing on its own, there’s a humorous twist because he was theoretically available this summer under a franchise tag.
Any team could have attempted to work out a deal with him and given the Ravens two first-round draft selections in exchange for his services, but nobody did.
Teams practically tripped over each other to deny any interest in signing Jackson, who is once again expected to win two MVP awards!
After their defense surrounded Brock Purdy and Jackson maneuvered through and around the San Francisco 49ers to secure a 33-19 victory on Monday night, the Ravens now own the best record in the NFL.
In one of the greatest anticipated games of the season, Baltimore not only established themselves as a clear Super Bowl candidate, but they also displayed a chip on their left shoulder that seemed to propel them.
Jackson remarked, “Not to take anything away from the 49ers—they’re fantastic in every way—but we’ll be ready to play too.” ” Our record is not an anomaly. We demonstrated that we can play ball.
Reporter Mike Florio’s remarks that the 49ers would “kick the (expletive) out of the Ravens” if healthy infuriated Jackson.
More than taking a jab at the Ravens, he was praising San Francisco, but it was understandable why they took offense.
This season, Baltimore (12-3) has proven to be quietly outstanding on its own. In no game have the Ravens fallen down by over seven points.
With fewer than two minutes left, they lost two of their previous three games on the last play and one on a touchdown.
With landslide victories over Philadelphia, Dallas, and Jacksonville, San Francisco garnered a lot of attention; Baltimore achieved a similar feat against Detroit and Seattle.
Despite finishing with 429 yards on offense, Purdy’s four interceptions and Sam Darnold’s one proved to be too much for San Francisco to overcome.
It may be moot after all the discussion over who on the 49ers is the better MVP contender, Purdy or Christian McCaffrey. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Jackson is currently the overwhelming favorite.
Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen stated, “We play a brand of football that people don’t want to play.”
“We ain’t with all that; everyone wants to be here. It’s cute, playing hoops on grass and stuff like that.”
Jackson received assistance from his own defense, which led to a few short fields, and he was outstanding when Baltimore got the ball.
There have been better days for the Ravens’ running game, and stopping San Francisco’s pass rush wasn’t simple.
Jackson, though, appeared at ease the entire time, with the exception of the moment he went down and was intentionally grounded for an early safety because an official stumbled in front of him in the end zone.
On its final drive of the opening half, Baltimore managed just three points, but it was a crucial drive. There was a sack and two flags for 25 yards on the offensive line.
Relentless, Jackson completed six throws during the drive and, on third-and-16, scrambled for thirty yards, setting up a simple field goal for a 16–12 lead.