Jackson breaks the record held by a former AFC North rival
Getty Images
Lamar Jackson making NFL history is obviously fine with the Baltimore Ravens. The fact that Jackson did so while also breaking a record formerly held by Baltimore’s arch rival is icing on the cake.
During the Ravens 41-10 shellacking of the Denver Broncos Sunday, Jackson broke a tie with former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after recording his fourth perfect passer rating for a single game with a minimum of 15 attempts. Jackson posted a perfect 158.3 rating in Week 9 after throwing for 280 yards and three touchdowns on 16 of 19 passing.
A two-time league MVP, Jackson is once again in the middle of conversations for the award. He strengthened his argument by having a perfect game against a Broncos defense that allowed the third-fewest points in football through eight weeks.
Jackson spread the field against Denver while continuing to strengthen his rapport with second-year wideout Zay Flowers, who caught five passes for 127 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jackson, who broke containment all day while continuously frustrating Denver’s formidable pass rushers, led the Ravens’ top-ranked scoring offense on seven consecutive drives.
Jackson is in a unique situation in that he shares a backfield with another MVP candidate in running back Derrick Henry. Like Jackson, Henry also had a historic day. Henry, who is in pursuit of his third career rushing title, scored two touchdowns against the Broncos that included his 100th career rushing touchdown. Henry also tied Adrian Peterson for the second-most consecutive seasons with at least 10 touchdowns runs (seven).
Henry could become the first running back since Peterson (in 2012) to win league MVP honors. But Henry would vote for his teammate if he had the ability to do so. After the game, Henry alluded to the fact that Jackson didn’t need to make plays with his legs on Sunday. His prolific passing was more than good enough.
“He’s the engine making this thing go,” Henry said. “MV3.”