It’s funny how quickly things can change in the NFL. Just a couple of weeks ago, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky was confidently crowning Josh Allen as the 2024 NFL MVP, proclaiming the race “over” with three games left to play. But after the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson’s latest masterpiece—a surgical dissection of the Houston Texans on Christmas Day—it’s safe to say that Orlovsky might be rethinking that take.
The Ravens rolled into Houston with a playoff berth on the line, and Jackson delivered a performance for the ages, even by his sky-high standards. In just three quarters of action, he went 10-for-15 for 168 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air while adding another 87 yards and a rushing score on just four carries.
The Ravens led 31-2 when Jackson exited the game, turning the fourth quarter into a glorified preseason scrimmage with backup Josh Johnson coming in for cleanup duty.
With this win, Baltimore moved to 11-5 and maintained its grip on first place in the AFC North. Meanwhile, Jackson padded his already ridiculous season stat line, now sitting at 3,955 passing yards, 39 passing touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and 852 rushing yards with four rushing scores.
For context, Josh Allen hasn’t even played his Week 17 game yet and will face the lowly Jets at home, but it’s hard to imagine even a strong performance against the lowly Jets will solidify his status as the frontrunner.
Dan Orlovsky finally backtracks on premature MVP declaration
It took two weeks of undeniable brilliance, but even Dan Orlovsky couldn’t ignore what was unfolding. During the game, the ESPN analyst tweeted a simple acknowledgment of Jackson’s brilliance:
WTH Lamar
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) December 25, 2024
MVP was over….. https://t.co/mqJcu6SBWa
Oh, Dan. Two weeks ago, the MVP race was “pretty much nothing could change that,” and now this? It’s almost as if declaring the MVP race over before the regular season is finished is, well, ridiculous.
As if Jackson’s Christmas Day heroics weren’t enough, he also hit a historic milestone. With 87 rushing yards against the Texans, Jackson surpassed Michael Vick to become the NFL’s all-time leading rushing quarterback. Vick’s record of 6,109 career rushing yards now belongs to Jackson, who sits at 6,110 and counting.
To be fair, Orlovsky is hardly alone in underestimating Lamar this season. Jackson’s two previous MVP awards seem to have warped the conversation. Voters are hungry for a fresh narrative, which is the only explanation for why Josh Allen—despite having fewer touchdowns, more turnovers, and a worse head-to-head result—was prematurely handed the award in the first place. But as Christmas Day proved, greatness doesn’t need a shiny new storyline to shine.
Lamar Jackson reminded everyone why he’s the most electrifying player in football, and now even his loudest critics are taking notice. Dan Orlovsky might want to sit this one out—again.