Belichick impressed with what he has seen from Ravens (1:34)
Invoice Belichick explains to Pat McAfee what’s working nicely for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ offense. (1:34)
-
Jamison Hensley, ESPN Employees AuthorOct 17, 2024, 06:00 PM ET
- Jamison Hensley is a reporter protecting the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011, protecting the AFC North earlier than focusing completely on the Ravens starting in 2013. Jamison received the Nationwide Sports activities Media Affiliation Maryland Sportswriter of the Yr award in 2018, and he authored a e-book titled: Flying Excessive: Tales of the Baltimore Ravens. He was the Ravens beat author for the Baltimore Solar from 2000-2011.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Lamar Jackson is on a path to develop into — because the Baltimore Ravens usually put it — the subsequent “MV3.”
Jackson is off to probably the greatest begins of his profession, quarterbacking the NFL’s No. 1 offense and placing up numbers that may surpass these from final season, when he was named MVP. If Jackson wins the award this yr, he would develop into the youngest three-time NFL MVP, however that is not the historical past that is on his thoughts.
“I actually do not care in regards to the hype,” Jackson stated after Thursday’s observe. “I am not going to dwell on an MVP trophy or something like that. I by no means have. Even once I received it, I by no means dwelled on it. It was about me simply attempting to win each sport I am in. And similar factor from now, I am nonetheless attempting to win these video games to get to February and win in February.”
Jackson, 27, is alluding to the truth that he’s 2-4 within the postseason and has but to advance previous the convention championship sport. He’s at the moment the one a number of MVP winner who has but to win a Tremendous Bowl.
However Jackson has the Ravens (4-2) in place for one more championship run, profitable 4 straight heading into Monday night time’s sport on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN). He’s seventh in passing (1,529 yards) and eighth in speeding (403), which places him on tempo to eclipse his numbers from final season (3,678 passing yards, 821 speeding).
Jackson’s stellar numbers and memorable performs on the sector — resembling when he stiff-armed Bengals defensive finish Sam Hubbard and threw a landing move to Isaiah Likely in Cincinnati two weeks in the past — has ramped up the thrill for one more MVP trophy. The Ravens’ social media accounts have began to check with Jackson as “MV3.”
“I simply really feel like every part is slowing down much more,” Jackson stated. “Simply from the [seven] years I have been within the league and seeing all forms of defenses, seeing all forms of blitzes. The whole lot is simply second nature proper now. So I am simply attempting to be a greater participant myself each yr.”
Jackson would develop into the seventh participant in NFL historical past to win three MVP awards, becoming a member of Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Getting into Week 7, Jackson is the second-leading betting favourite at +550, trailing solely Patrick Mahomes (+325), in response to ESPN BET.
“He’s at all times in search of to enhance,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh stated. “He is very a lot a perfectionist. He desires each play to be excellent. He chases perfection in his soccer. However I feel his focus is on the subsequent play [and] the subsequent sport.”
