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NFL MVP race turned on its head as Brock Purdy implodes, Lamar Jackson rises in Ravens' rout
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- NFL MVP race turned on its head as Brock Purdy implodes, Lamar Jackson rises in Ravens' rout
Brock Purdy , MVP? Not so fast.
Lamar Jackson is your new favorite to win the NFL's Most Valuable Player Award.
This was some of the significant fallout from the Baltimore Ravens ' 33-19 romp at Levi's Stadium on Christmas night. While Purdy, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback, threw four interceptions for the first time in his young career, the Ravens' star sparkled.
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"I thought Lamar had an MVP performance tonight," Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters afterward. "It takes a team to create a performance like that. But…to play at an MVP level, it takes a player to play that way. And Lamar was all over the field, doing everything."
For his part, Jackson, typically took it in stride when someone told him of Harbaugh's assessment.
"We got the dub," Jackson said. "I really don't care about the performance. I just wanted to win. That's what happened tonight. On Christmas, that was my gift."
And the Ravens' gift.
Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens high fives a fan while heading into the locker room after the first half against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on December 25, 2023 in Santa Clara, California.
Sure, we've seen bigger numbers. But in this case, the numbers don't begin to do justice to Jackson's impact on the much-anticipated showdown of the teams with the best records in each conference. The raw numbers show that he passed for 252 yards with two touchdowns. Yet your eyes told you that he must have scrambled for what, 50, 75 more yards to extend the plays that got him to 252.
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It's no news flash that Jackson led the Ravens again in rushing with 45 yards. He's been running less in this system installed by new coordinator Todd Monken. Yet he demonstrated, again, that when he needs to, he can burn a defense in the worst way with his legs. His 30-yard scramble on a third-and-16 set up a field goal just before halftime – and was his longest run of the season.
And this wasn't any average defense that Jackson stung. The 49ers entered the game with the NFL's No. 2 unit in scoring average. Yet Jackson executed what Harbaugh implied was a game plan more complicated than most and (except for an early intentional grounding penalty in the end zone that resulted in a safety) never made the mistakes that played into the hands of San Francisco 's defense.
Jackson didn't have a turnover, which underscored the poise that his team needed in a high-stakes game. And his decision-making was on point, reflected on check-down throws and escapes from the pocket alike.
It helped that Jackson's own defense kept setting him up with great field position. In addition to the picks against Purdy, the Ravens also intercepted Sam Darnold after he came on in relief in the fourth quarter. And the Ravens, who entered the week leading the NFL with 50 sacks, collected four more.
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Without question, it was a complete victory for a team that suddenly holds the NFL's longest winning streak now at five games. And it's an impressive resume that this version of the Ravens is building, which includes blowout victories against the Jacksonville Jaguars (23-7), Detroit Lions (38-6) and Seattle Seahawks (37-3).
With a victory on Sunday against the AFC East-leading Miami Dolphins , the Ravens (12-3) will clinch the No. 1 seed and first-round bye for the AFC playoffs .
And the MVP equation could flow, too, considering that Jackson is the best player on the team that has the NFL's best record. If the matchup on Christmas night (the first time since 2005 that the teams with the best records in each conference met in December or later) provided a measure Jackson surely gained an edge over Purdy and San Francisco's star running back, Christian McCaffrey .
Just don't expect that Jackson, the unanimous MVP in 2019 , will add his voice to such debates. He's undoubtedly more concerned about pursuing the goal of winning a Super Bowl.
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"We know what it was, 2019," Jackson told reporters after Monday night's game. "When the time came, we didn't finish the season. So, we're just going to keep taking it one day at a time."
With more days like Christmas, Jackson could soon find himself with some more big gifts.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL MVP race: Brock Purdy implodes, Lamar Jackson is new front-runner
