Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson still isn’t getting the respect he deserves 11 weeks into the season. It’s a shame.
According to WynnBET, Jackson’s odds of winning league MVP are set at just +1200.
Eight quarterbacks are ahead of him, with the favorite being Tom Brady at +250. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes are ranked next at +500 and +700 respectively, but after that, the order becomes much more questionable.
Matthew Stafford and Justin Herbert remain up there due to their teams’ continued success, but Kyler Murray also ranks above Jackson despite missing several games, as does Aaron Rodgers.
Jackson missed Week 11 due to illness, but Murray has missed three games, which should knock him down a bit more. Rodgers missed just the one due to COVID-19, but his last two games have been far from impressive.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson isn’t viewed as a serious MVP candidate in 2021
Many weeks have passed since Jackson’s superhuman performances against the Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, and Los Angeles Chargers, and in his last start, Baltimore fell to the Miami Dolphins in a crushing 22-10 loss.
But Jackson still remains in playoff-ready form.
Everyone saw how identity-less the Ravens were in Week 11 when Tyler Huntley stepped in under center. The Ravens’ offense looked the tamest it has been all year, which is the glaring effect of missing Jackson in the lineup.
The Ravens are 7-3 despite suffering the most injuries of any NFL team.
People will say the Ravens are the worst 7-3 team in the league and that their record isn’t indicative of their team performances. They have a point.
Yet, if games are won and lost by quarterbacks (as they often are), and Jackson is the Ravens quarterback, then in the most rudimentary terms, Jackson is one of the most winning-est signal-callers this season.
Other QBs have other talents, but Lamar Jackson somehow finds a way to win.
Persistence, if you want to call it that, deserves to be factored into the MVP race as much as any other quality. Jackson’s greatest strength this season should not be ignored.