Jamal Lewis in 2003
How Jamal Lewis wasn’t the MVP in 2003 is beyond me. Peyton Manning and Steve McNair split the award as co-MVP’s that year. They were both incredible players who lifted their team to the playoffs. I cannot dispute that. I would say though, that when a running back goes over 2,000 yards in a season, he’s probably the MVP.
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Kyle Boller and Anthony Wright were the Ravens quarterbacks in that season. How could any player have meant more to their team than Jamal Lewis meant to the 2003 Ravens? Number 31 rushed for 2,066 yards that year. That was the third most yards a running back had ever gained, and it was just short of Eric Dickerson’s 1984 performance. There is precedent for a historic rusher being passed up by a QB though. In 1984, Dan Marino was the MVP.
Lewis Averaged 129.1 yards per game in 2003. He was unstoppable and he carried the Ravens’ offense on his back. Lewis had a real argument for being the MVP of the league.