Lamar Jackson begins strong MVP defense despite misfires in heartbreaking Ravens loss

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson started his reigning MVP tour with another MVP-level-worthy performance. Jackson was the straw that stirred the Ravens' drink. He was as electric as ever and he is rewriting the history books on what it means to be a dual-threat quarterback. We will never see another Lamar Jackson.

Last night Jackson was amazing. He dazzled with his elusiveness and creativity. And he needed to. The offensive line for the Ravens was Swiss cheese all night and Lamar had to go full Clark Kent to give the Ravens a puncher's chance.

He wasn't perfect by any means, but the Ravens were within an earshot of pulling out a comeback victory in the fourth quarter solely because Jackson put the team on his back.

Had Lamar not fumbled early on in the second quarter...

Or missed a "no glass in the window" wide-open Zay Flowers in the end zone...

Maybe the Ravens wouldn't have needed a miracle try on the last play of the game as the clock ran out. If only Jackson had evaded Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones a second before the sack. Or if he just squared his shoulders a bit more before the Flowers throw. The outcome could have been different. But as the great Dwight Schrute once said, "If onlys and justs were candies and nuts, then everyday would be Erntedankfest."

Despite early mishaps Lamar Jackson will be in MVP conversation

Is it unfortunate Jackson lost a fumble early in the second quarter? Yes. Is it unfortunate that he missed a wide-open Zay Flowers in the end zone with 10 seconds on the clock to potentially tie or win the game? Yes. Did he ball out last night and give the Ravens a chance to come back in a game seemingly fixed by the refs? Yes.

We ask these questions to drive home the fact multiple things can be true at once. Jackson had his struggles last night and dagnabit he'll probably struggle at least one or two more times this season. It's football. If players played perfectly every game the league would be boring.

Despite the early fumble (the offensive line CRATERED before the play could remotely develop) and the errant throw, Jackson had a very sound game. He was the engine of the offense last night. It would have been nice to see Derrick Henry utilized more - thought that's why they brought him in.

While the stats won't tell the whole story, Jackson finished the night completing 26 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown. He added 122 rushing yards on 16 carries. In other words, he was a nightmare. Both Jackson and Mahomes etched their names into the history books last night. Mahomes became the Chiefs' all-time leading passer and Jackson passed Russell Wilson for third place on the NFL's all-time rushing yards for quarterbacks.

It was a monumental night filled with intrigue. The AFC Championship Game rematch lived up to the hype. If only Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely stayed in bounds on the last play. Football is big back!

More Ravens and Lamar Jackson news and analysis