Entering Sunday, Lamar Jackson was clearly in third place in the MVP odds. However, things started to shift due to the most recent game. The Baltimore Ravens quarterback beat a playoff team on the road using both his arm and his legs, while one of the other top three MVP candidates lost a game in blowout fashion.
Lamar Jackson can win MVP if the Baltimore Ravens beat the San Fransico 49ers
This caused Jackson to go from the clear-cut third candidate to a tie for second. The issue for Jackson is that while he did see his odds drop, they only went down slightly. On the flip side, Dak Prescott saw his odds rise significantly to tie Jackson. The issue here is that it now has Brock Purdy alone as the favorite.
Jackson has to make up ground, and he only has three games. The good news is that Monday night will be the perfect time to show what he can do. The Baltimore Ravens get to travel to San Fransico to play the 49ers for a national stage to watch.
Brock Purdy will face the fierce Baltimore Ravens defense, and they could remind the voters that he is just on a hot run right now. Meanwhile, if Lamar Jackson has an MVP type of performance against Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and that elite group, it could be what changes the odds entirely.
Jackson outplaying Purdy and beating his team's defenses in the head-to-head format would linger for the voters over the final weeks when the votes are finally made. So, there is not a better time than this week to steal the MVP.
Of course, if the Ravens go on the road and lose, it will be even harder to justify for Jackson. He was already behind Purdy and now lost the game to him. Beyond that, it would mean that Purdy played well against the Ravens defense. This game has implications beyond a win and a measuring stick. It will probably decide who wins the MVP.