There is no question that Russell Wilson is in the running for the NFL MVP award. Lamar Jackson deserves to be talked about as MVP candidate as well:
Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson are two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and that’s the main sell of the Baltimore Ravens battle with the Seattle Seahawks. The Seattle Seahawks are 5-1 and Wilson is playing the best football of his career. The Ravens are 4-2 and Jackson is getting the job done as a passer and a runner. Both players have a case for being the MVP of the league.
Wilson’s case isn’t hard to sell. His team is rolling and he has thrown 14 touchdown passes with no interceptions. Wilson has thrown for 1,704 yards and has a quarterback passer rating of 124.7 for the season. He hasn’t had a game this season where he has had a passer rating lower than 100.
He is having the best year of his career and that’s saying something for a man who’s been to six Pro Bowls. On top of that he’s rushed for just over 150 yards and his ability to escape from sacks have created some of the best highlights of the NFL season.
Jackson has an argument for being the MVP as well. He’s doing it differently than any quarterback ever has. Jackson has 11 touchdown passes and five interceptions. He’s thrown for 1,507 yards has 460 yards on the ground. Against the Bengals, he was the first quarterback to have 200 passing yards and 150 yards on the ground. He’s averaging 7.7 yards per pass and 6.7 yards per run. He’s good for 250 passing yards per game and 76.7 yards per game as a runner.
Jackson’s argument for MVP also has to do with what’s happening around him. The Ravens’ defense has struggled mightily. The offensive line in front of him has been spotty in pass protection and he has to lean almost entirely on Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown in the passing attack. Without Jackson, the Ravens aren’t 4-2. With Flacco under center, the Ravens may be 2-4 right now. Jackson is making a huge difference.
While Jackson has had some rough performances as a passer, he chips in as a running quarterback when that is needed. There will never be a game where Jackson doesn’t at least give you something. He’s impossible to completely shutdown his production because he has two ways to get it.
There are a few names that belong in the 2019 MVP race. Christian McCaffrey is putting up incredible results as the Carolina Panthers are winning without Cam Newton. DeShaun Watson is playing incredibly for the Houston Texans and Tom Brady still hasn’t lost a 2019 game with the Patriots. Rank the players however you want, however it’s hard to find two players who do more for their team than Wilson and Jackson.
In the end, I think the award has to go to Wilson. He’s playing the best at the most important position in the game. Jackson is doing incredible things however he’s not quite at Wilson’s level. Wilson serves as a great example of the kind of player that Jackson should emulate. Wilson is one of the best passers we have ever seen in the NFL. If Jackson even gets close to what Wilson can do with his arm, he will put up numbers the NFL isn’t ready for.
The Ravens game against the Seahawks is big. It’s a chance to see if the Ravens belong on a stage with elite competition. If the Ravens are a playoff team they should start showing that with games like this. It’s a battle between two quarterbacks who should be considered for the NFL MVP award. Wilson should get the honor this season but don’t have any doubt about it, Jackson will win an MVP award or two in his career.