Lamar Jackson Hyped as ‘Better Than Ever’ by Fans as Ravens Beat Baker Mayfield, Bucs
Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVOctober 22, 2024
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Lamar Jackson defeating an NFC team may be the biggest guarantee in all of sports.
The Baltimore Ravens quarterback led his team to a fifth straight victory with a 41-31 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday at Raymond James Stadium. Baltimore is now 5-2 on the season following a slow start, while Tampa Bay fell to 4-3 with the loss.
Jackson is now an unbelievable 23-1 against NFC foes in his career and has already beaten the Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders this season.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReportLAMAR THROWS 49-YARD TD BOMB TO RASHOD BATEMAN 🤯
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/0X1t1IQAxd
He was brilliant again Monday and went 17-of-22 passing for 281 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions while adding 52 yards as a runner. It wasn’t just him, as Derrick Henry (169 rushing yards and one touchdown catch), Mark Andrews (two touchdowns) and Rashod Bateman (121 receiving yards and one touchdown) also impressed in the win.
But it was Jackson who drew much of the attention from social media:
Rich Eisen @richeisenLamar is unreal.
Better than ever.
Bryan Fischer @BryanDFischerHoping beyond hope that Lamar Jackson can stay healthy for the playoffs.
Bill Barnwell @billbarnwellThis is the best Lamar Jackson we’ve ever seen.
Robert Mays @robertmaysLamar Jackson was already the MVP last year, and I think he’s comfortably playing the best football of his career right now.
Benjamin Solak @BenjaminSolakThere have been seven games in NFL history in which a quarterback had 50+ rushing yards and 5 passing TDs.
Lamar has three of them. pic.twitter.com/AcDH7DDIOj
Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 @big_business_Lamar Jackson getting his 3rd MVP.
year 22 @johnrivers131yeah Lamar Jackson is the best in the world
Kyron Samuels @kyronsamuelslamar jackson, 3x most valuable player.
Patrick Daugherty @RotoPatThis is somehow shaping up as Lamar Jackson’s best overall season
Ryan Clark @Realrclark25Lamar! Totally different level!
Dez Bryant @DezBryantPatrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson
Top Tier!
Tony Jones @TjonesonthenbaLamar Jackson has been the best player in the league this season by a lot
LeSean Shady Mccoy @CutonDime25WHO playing better than LAMAR??? Seriously this the best I ever seen him
br_betting @br_bettingLAMAR JACKSON HAS BECOME THE FAVORITE TO WIN NFL MVP (+280) @DKSportsbook pic.twitter.com/bIvugYXxJd
To call the first half a roller coaster for a Tampa Bay team already facing the daunting task of playing against Jackson as an NFC club would be quite the understatement. Initially, it looked as if the home team would roll when it jumped out to a 10-0 lead behind Mike Evans’ 100th career touchdown.
And then it didn’t.
Jackson responded with touchdown passes to Andrews and Justice Hill, and the Buccaneers also had a particularly disastrous possession when Evans dropped a touchdown pass and grabbed his hamstring in obvious pain. He never returned, and Baker Mayfield added insult to injury when he threw a poor interception to Marlon Humphrey in the end zone.
Humphrey added a second interception as Baltimore took a 17-10 lead into intermission, although the cornerback was ruled out for the second half with a knee injury.
Jackson made sure the Ravens didn’t need him down the stretch.
Perhaps his best throw of the evening came on a 49-yard rainbow to Bateman for a touchdown, and he followed that by breaking the game open with another touchdown pass to Andrews. The Andrews score capped off a drive that started with an 81-yard run from Henry as the Ravens showed off all their offensive weapons.
NFL @NFLThe Ravens are COOKING.
📺: #BALvsTB on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/dDkCrm8ycx
B/R Gridiron @brgridironA defenses WORST NIGHTMARE
Derrick Henry behind his own 10 yard line 😳
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/vHtfWbXUIp
The rest of the game was largely a formality even though Tampa Bay cut into the deficit after recovering Jackson’s backward pass and scoring a touchdown on the ensuing possession. The star quarterback more than made up for the one mistake by blocking for Henry on a long run and then finding the running back with his fifth touchdown pass of the day.
Jackson looks the part of an MVP candidate, which would, in turn, set the Ravens up to compete for a Super Bowl as the season progresses.
First, though, is an upcoming divisional showdown against the Cleveland Browns as they look to extend their winning streak following a dominant performance against Tampa Bay.
