Lamar Jackson silenced all doubters about his status as the MVP of the NFL in 2023 Sunday with a five-touchdown performance against the Miami Dolphins that also earned his Baltimore Ravens the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC.
Jackson expertly maneuvered around the pocket, daring the Dolphins to blitz him and picking them apart when they did.
A former league MVP already, Jackson solidified his argument for the top individual honor in the NFL with a performance that saw him go 18-21 for 321 and a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3.
He was perfect, finding Zay Flowers, Justice Hill, Patrick Ricard, and Isaiah Likely (twice) for scores. It was a statement from Jackson, who left no doubt as to who the best player in the league is as the playoffs approach. In the biggest game of the season to this point, he rose to the occasion and had what may have been the best single-game performance of his career.
He was crisp, confident, maneuvered around the pocket like a seasoned veteran, and silenced critics still clinging to the argument that he is a runner first.
The Dolphins' defense had no answer for Jackson or the Ravens' offense, which put up 493 total yards.
For Miami, the loss put the AFC East title in jeopardy. Once shoe-ins to win the division, they now host the Buffalo Bills in a match-up that will not only determine the title but, also, which team will go on the road for its first playoff match-up.
That will not be a concern for Jackson and Co., who will have a first-round bye as the top team in the conference. That is a position the team found itself in, back in 2019, and suffered a divisional round upset loss at the hands of the Tennessee Titans.
Jackson is older, more experienced, and playing the best football of his life. Against the potential opponents in the conference, it is hard to see a team that can stop the soon-to-be two-time MVP.
