Lamar Jackson is on a hot streak right now and leading the Baltimore Ravens back towards the post-season, but he has a chance at league history this week.
In case you’ve been under a rock for the last month of football, I’ll fill you in with one simple sentence: Lamar Jackson is playing at a high-level and has the Baltimore Ravens thinking “Super Bowl.”
How has he done this? The same way he balled out in 2019 and won the MVP award, with his arm and legs carrying the team on his back. Jackson has 12 touchdowns in the last four weeks after returning from the COVID-19 list, including four scores as a runner. Jackson continues to break defenses with his athleticism and is one of the most unguardable players in all of football.
Focusing particularly on what he’s doing on the ground, he’s trending towards NFL history.
More from Ebony Bird
- Should Baltimore Ravens be interested in this recently released WR
- Do the Baltimore Ravens have serious interest in this free agent wide out?
- NFL Draft Profile: Anthony Richardson is the perfect pivot for Baltimore Ravens
- New Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code for Ravens Fans
- Why Baltimore Ravens might use non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson
On the season, Jackson has rushed for 908-yards in 14 games, giving him an average of 64.9 rushing YPG. In a full 16 game season that would put you over 1,000-yards, a number that is treasured among runners in the league. That number is one that has only be achieved twice by quarterbacks, those being Michael Vick and, you guessed it, Lamar Jackson.
Jackson actually accomplished this a year ago when he tallied 1,206-yards in 15 games. That number just so happens to be the single-season record for quarterbacks by a lot. It was a remarkable season for sure and one that won’t be soon forgotten about.
2020 could see Jackson topple 1,000-yards as a runner once again, and that would make him the first quarterback to ever record multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Even more impressive would be that he did so in back-to-back seasons.
To do this, Lamar Jackson would obviously have to out-produce his average, as he’d be just short with ~973-yards. Thankfully, he plays a lowly Cincinnati Bengals defense that ranks 25th in rushing YPG allowed and Baltimore actually has their playoffs hopes attached to this game, meaning Jackson will see the field plenty.
Lamar Jackson has only tallied 100-yards in a game twice this season and he’ll have to be very close to that number to accomplish this feat. If there ever was a game where could do just that it would be this week.
Jackson doesn’t come across as the guy who cares for individual accolades, so he might not be too focused on this achievement. That doesn’t mean that the coaching staff might not necessarily care. The Ravens brass may just want to see Jackson achieve this once in a lifetime accomplishment and give him the opportunity to do just that. I know as a fan that I’d love nothing more than to see him do it, and I have little doubt that Baltimore’s players and coaches feel the same way. This gives us hope that Jackson might just get this goal.
This is a moment that we’re all on the edge of our seats waiting to see just how Lamar Jackson will close out the 2020 season. Will Jackson claim history and be the first quarterback to not only attain multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons but also do it in back-to-back seasons? The sport’s world and all of Ravens Flock will be eagerly waiting to see.