NFL 2023 MVP race: ‘Nobody like’ Lamar Jackson, but Ravens quarterback has plenty of competition

It was third-and-17 from the Rams’ 21-yard line, 1:28 remaining in regulation on a rain-soaked Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens were trailing by five, so a field goal was useless, and coach John Harbaugh said later that no matter what happened they would be going for it if they didn’t convert the first down.

Of course, it never got to that.

Lamar Jackson drifted back from the shotgun and ripped a tight spiral to an in-cutting Zay Flowers at the goal line for a touchdown as pass rushers Aaron Donald and Byron Young closed in on the quarterback. Overlooked but no less important as it would turn out was the next play when Jackson rolled right, cut back to the inside on hard-charging linebacker Ernest Jones and, just as defensive tackle Jonah Williams hit his legs, zipped another dart to Flowers, who had worked cut back to the outside in the back right corner of the end zone for the 2-point conversion.

These were the exclamation points to a go-ahead drive that would help propel Baltimore to an eventual and memorable 37-31 overtime victory. But it was the entirety of the 13-play, 75-yard march engineered by mostly the right arm of Jackson that stood out as he completed 7 of 10 passes for 73 yards and in doing so continued to elevate himself in the NFL Most Valuable Player conversation with four weeks remaining in the regular season.

“I think Lamar played one of the best quarterback games [Sunday] that you can play,” Harbaugh said.

Said Donald, the star defensive tackle who registered zero tackles: “Just elusive, man. He’s so hard to get to.”

And impossible to ignore when it comes to the possibility of capturing a second career MVP award after being the unanimous choice in 2019.

While Jackson is unlikely to match all of the gaudy numbers he put up four years ago — 3,127 passing yards and 36 touchdowns to go with 1,206 rushing yards and seven more scores — he is on pace for career highs in passing yards (2,934 through 13 games) and completion percentage (66.8). He’s still dangerous with his legs, too, with 644 yards rushing and five touchdowns. And he has been without tight end and security blanket Mark Andrews since Baltimore’s Nov. 17 win over the Bengals, during which he suffered an ankle injury that will keep him out for at least the rest of the regular season.

Just as importantly, Jackson has guided the Ravens (10-3) to the AFC’s best record and is now 14-3 in his career in December, the NFL’s second-best mark since 2018 behind only Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is 17-3.

It will be difficult to keep up that pace with games at the Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5) and San Francisco 49ers (10-3) and home against the Miami Dolphins (9-4) and AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6). But the toughest remaining schedule in the NFL also presents an opportunity to cement himself as the 11th player to have won multiple MVP awards.

“He’s one of a kind,” Harbaugh said. “There’s nobody like Lamar Jackson.”

Jackson has the third-best odds (+550) to win the MVP award, according to FanDuel, and there is plenty of competition, starting with the favorite, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (+155).

The 30-year-old two-time Pro Bowl selection and former Offensive Rookie of the Year is the best quarterback in the NFL right now. He has completed 69.3% of his passes for 3,505 yards, 28 touchdowns and has just two interceptions.

Prescott also just TKO’d the Eagles, completing 24 of 39 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns in the heavyweight bout between NFC East rivals that Dallas won in a rout, 33-13.

Right there with Prescott is 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who is right on Prescott’s heels with the second-best odds (+165).

The second-year passer out of Iowa State who was the last pick in the 2022 draft has completed 70.2% of his passes for 3,553 yards and 25 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. He has also made big-time plays in big games, with 11 touchdown passes and zero interceptions in wins over the Cowboys, Jaguars and Eagles.

And before the Eagles lost to the 49ers, Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts (+1000 odds) was humming. In addition to his 3,192 yards passing and 19 touchdowns (along with 10 interceptions) he has 460 rushing yards and 12 more scores. The runner-up to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in last year’s MVP voting has likewise produced big in big games, leading comeback wins over Kansas City and the Buffalo Bills.

Perhaps, though, the MVP will go to someone other than a quarterback, something that hasn’t happened since 2012 when the Minnesota Vikings’ Adrian Peterson rushed for the second-most yards in history, 2,097, and became only the seventh player to eclipse 2,000 in a season.

If so, Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill would be the likely favorite, though FanDuel gives him the seventh-best odds (+2000). He already has 1,542 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns on 97 catches and could become the first receiver to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark. He has also topped the 100-yard mark on eight occasions this year, with his season-opening 215 yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches his high-water mark.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen (+1500) and Chiefs signal-caller Patrick Mahomes (+1700) round out the top-six betting favorites.

Week 15

Ravens at Jaguars

Sunday, 8:20 p.m.

TV: NBC

Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM

Line: Ravens by 3 1/2