With the win, Baltimore improved to a league-best 12-3 record and Jackson is now the favorite to take home the NFL’s top individual award for the second time in his career. After the 2019 season, he was named league MVP.Jackson’s odds are -170 according to FanDuel, which is well ahead of other packs. Niners quarterback Christian McCaffrey is second, while Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa rounds out the top three.Jackson and Purdy came into the game as two unreasonable favorite.
However, the duo produced two contrasting performances on Sunday, resulting in doubles for both sides. Jackson made a clean play and didn’t turn the ball over. He continued to make plays with his legs, as he often does, and was in sync with the Ravens’ receivers all night. Jackson finished with 252 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air, adding 45 passing yards.
Purdy played arguably his worst game as a professional. The Ravens forced him to throw four interceptions and never let him get into a rhythm. Baltimore ejected Purdy in the fourth quarter and held the 49ers to 20 points, something only three other teams can claim to have done this season.
When you look closely at the numbers, it’s hard to see how Jackson is the MVP favorite. None of the stats really jumped out, and he doesn’t fare well in most quarterback categories.
Through 16 weeks, Jackson ranks 15th in passing yards, 11th in completion percentage and eighth in passing yards. 13 QBs have thrown more touchdown passes than him, though he’s 11th in total touchdowns when you count his five on the ground. Head#039;s also ran for 786 yards. Recently, much of the NFL MVP debate has revolved around the definition of the award. While most of them were undoubtedly deserved, seven of the last 10 MVPs went to a team that posted at least a share of the league’s best record. The Ravens are on a roll this season, just as they were in 2019 when Jackson won his first MVP. His passing numbers weren’t phenomenal back then either, although he led the league with 36 receptions and added more than 1,200 rushing yards.
There’s still a long way to go to win MVP, but it helps to lead a winning team at the end of the season. Jackson was the reason why the Ravens won many of their games. While Baltimore’s defense is one of the league’s best in 2023, the Ravens likely won’t go 12-3 without Jackson. Not only are the Ravens winning games, they’ve been dominating their opponents lately and beating teams they might see in the playoffs. Next week brings another tough test when Baltimore hosts the Miami Dolphins in a game that could decide the top seed in the AFC playoffs.
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