Lamar Jackson keeps strengthening his case for MVP while adding to his trophy case.
Jackson has been named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the fifth time this season. He joins Tom Brady (2007) and Cam Newton (2015) as the only players to win conference offensive player of the week five times in the same season. Both Brady and Newton won MVP those years.
If Jackson somehow doesn't win the MVP award after this season, he will be justified in asking, "What else do I have to do?"
Jackson's latest player of the week award comes after he threw five touchdown passes against the New York Jets in Week 15, leading the Ravens to a 42-21 victory. He completed 15 of 23 passes for 212 yards, in addition to rushing eight times for 86 yards. Once again, Jackson was the most dominant player on the field.
It was the third time this season that Jackson threw five touchdown passes in a game, and Jackson and Newton are the only players in league history to rush for at least 85 yards while throwing five touchdown passes in the same game.
Early in the Jets game, Jackson broke Michael Vick's previous NFL record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season. Jackson has 1,103 rushing yards, surpassing Vick's 1,039 yards in 2006. Jackson is the only quarterback in NFL history to produce at least 2,500 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a single season, and he leads the league in average yards per carry (6.94).
The list of Jackson's accomplishments this season goes on and on. He leads the league in total touchdowns with 40 – 33 passing touchdown passes and seven rushing touchdowns. He has tied Vinny Testaverde (1996) for the single-season franchise record for touchdown passes.
However, Jackson's focus isn't on stats or individual accomplishments. His focus is on winning, which only strengthens his worthiness for the MVP. The Ravens (12-2) have won back-to-back AFC North titles and they have the NFL's best record, riding a 10-game winning streak. Since Jackson took over as the starter last season, the Ravens have an 18-3 regular-season record, the league's best during that span.
Jackson was named to his first Pro Bowl on Tuesday night. He shouldn't have to wait long for his first MVP award either.
"This honor is all about my teammates and our coaches, because without them, the success we've had as a team wouldn't be possible," Jackson said after becoming the Ravens' first quarterback voted into the Pro Bowl. "Ultimately, it's about winning, and we still have a lot of work to do before we accomplish our biggest goals."
