Now entering Week 16, there can be little doubt that the MVP of the 2019 NFL season is Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jackson has been simply electric and has wowed fans of all teams (even those he has beaten) with his deeds as a runner. He broke Michael Vick’s single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback on Thursday night, after all.
But what may have escaped the attention of many is just how good a season as a passer Jackson has had. He leads the NFL with 33 touchdown passes, throwing his scores at a league-high rate of 8.9%. For good measure, Jackson’s 80.9 QBR is also the best among all quarterbacks (his 112.9 passer rating is ranked third).
Jackson’s deeds are also earning him a special place in annals of the Ravens passers. His 33 touchdown passes are tied for the most by a Ravens quarterback in a single season, while his 8.9% touchdown rate is an all-time team record. You have to go all the way back to the first year of the teams’ existence for the other instance of a quarterback registering 33 scores — Vinny Testaverde in 1996. Testaverde had a 7.61 yards per attempt average back then, while Jackson has a team-record 7.81 this year.
Jackson has completed 66.2% of his passes this season, with 245 of his 370 attempts finding a receiver. This is the highest completion percentage by any Ravens quarterback in a single season (minimum 200 attempts). Jackson’s interception rate of 1.62 is also the second-lowest in team history. Joe Flacco had a 1.58 rate in 2018.
Just for good measure, Jackson also owns the team records for quarterback rating (111.2) and adjusted-net-yards per attempt (8.07). The next highest on the latter list is Flacco, and he only managed 6.66 ANY/A in 2014.
For Jackson, claiming Baltimore’s first MVP award would be another proud achievement in a season replete with them. It is hard to see anyone stopping him from doing so.
[vertical-gallery id=39000]