Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff Writer December 26, 2023, 2:19 a.m. ET
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- Jamison Hensley is a reporter who covers the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011 and covered the AFC North before focusing exclusively on the Ravens beginning in 2013. Jamison won the National Sports Media Association's Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018 and authored a book titled “Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore.” Ravens. From 2000 to 2011, he was the Ravens' beat writer for the Baltimore Sun.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – As quarterback Lamar Jackson walked onto the field for pregame warmups, he heard chants of “MVP” from Baltimore Ravens fans at Levi's Stadium. After the Ravens' 33-19 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, it was Jackson's coaches and teammates who declared him “hands down” the best player in football.
“I thought Lamar had an MVP performance,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “It takes a team to produce a performance like that, but it takes a player to play at that level – to play at an MVP level – it takes a player to play that way. And Lamar was all over the field and did everything.”
In a battle of teams with the best records in the league, Jackson took control of the MVP race by comfortably outpacing 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. Throughout the game, Jackson played around the 49ers' pass rushers, throwing for 252 yards and two touchdowns while leading Baltimore in rushing with 45 yards. Purdy, meanwhile, threw a career-worst four interceptions.
According to ESPN BET, Purdy was the betting favorite for NFL MVP on Monday night and Jackson was second. After the game, Jackson became the leading candidate for MVP (-180) with two weeks left in the regular season.
“He can do anything,” Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers said. “You [saw] It [Monday night]. He ran it; he threw it; He led the team. This is the MVP. You lead your team, you have the best record in the NFL, and he keeps coming out and doing what he wants [does] Play in and play out though folks [say]“He can’t do that.” “He can’t do that,” and every time he proves them wrong.”
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This season is expected to be a repeat of Baltimore's 2019 season, when Jackson was NFL MVP and the Ravens were the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Baltimore (12-3) can clinch first place if it beats the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
On Monday, Jackson said he didn't care what others called an “MVP performance,” pointing out that the 2019 team lost its first playoff game, a 14-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
“We know it was 2019 when we played each other [teams] like this [and] Winning regular season games [and] “When the time came, we didn’t finish the season,” Jackson said. “We'll just keep going, one day at a time, one practice at a time and one game at a time.” That's all I'm focused on at the moment.
With 19 touchdown passes this season, Jackson would become one of the more unlikely NFL MVPs. According to a study by ESPN Stats & Information, the fewest touchdown passes by an MVP was 24 by Steve McNair.
But Jackson has captivated the football world with his fleeting ability to buy time and throw downfield. Against San Francisco, Jackson was 10 of 12 for 132 yards and a touchdown when pressured. That's his most completions and second-most passing yards when pressured in a game in his career.
“I think if anyone saw the game [or] If anyone watches football this season and has seen the Baltimore Ravens, they know it for sure [that] “Lamar Jackson is the MVP, hands down,” Ravens middle linebacker Roquan Smith said. “Anyone who watches football and knows football.” [can] Look at the impact he has on the game – not even statistically, just individually, the plays he makes quarter-in and quarter-out, play-in and play-out – compare his film to anyone else in the league. Then I'd love to hear what someone else has to say after that.
The Ravens were 6.5 point underdogs against the 49ers. This is the second-largest underdog role of Jackson's six-year career.
In Sunday's team meeting, it was mentioned that they were decided underdogs, and several players said they felt “disrespected” that so many were picking the 49ers to win. Baltimore inside linebacker Patrick Queen talked about it as he delivered his on-field presentation in the final huddle before the game.
“We worked too hard for people to write us off,” Queen said. “There's a certain feeling you get with things like this, when someone writes you off before you even have a chance to play the game. So my message was just go out there and just take what we want.”