Shawne Merriman on Lamar Jackson: "He's Michael Vick 2.0"
Lamar Jackson 2019 NFL MVP?
The Ravens are standing strong in the AFC with a 7-2 record and are just one game behind the Patriots (who Baltimore beat in Week 9) for first place in the conference. Football may be a team sport, but the NFL hands out an MVP trophy for a reason and right now the Ravens' success is largely due to the incredible play by quarterback Lamar Jackson.
In Week 10, Jackson became the first player in NFL history with two games of a perfect passer rating (158.3) in his first 16 career games. He's now the second player (Ben Roethlisberger, 2007) ever to do it twice in the same season, and is just the sixth player in history with multiple career perfect passer ratings. With his incredible performance against the Bengals, Jackson joined Joe Montana and Aaron Rodgers as the third QB in the last 40 years to post a perfect passer rating and rush for a TD in the same game.
Speaking of his rushing...Jackson has 702 rushing yards, which would put him right behind Texans' running back Carlos Hyde for the 11th most in the league. Just for some perspective, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook currently leads the NFL with 991 yards.
Shawne Merriman Heaps Praise on Jackson's Ability
When Wall Street legend and lifelong fantasy football player Jim Cramer asked three time All-Pro linebacker Shawne Merriman if the MVP candidate is the most dangerous offensive player in the league, Merriman didn't hesitate with his praise for the young passer. Calling him "Michael Vick 2.0" but added that, unlike Vick, Jackson is an exceptional passer from the pocket.
Vick's best season as a passer came in 2011 with the Eagles, when he threw for 3,303 yards and 18 touchdowns (he threw for 21 TDs and 3,018 yards in 2010). In 2011, Vick rushed for 589 yards and one touchdown. In 2006, Vick rushed for 1,039 yards but had just 2,474 passing yards that year. His career high is nine rushing touchdowns (2010).
Jackson already has 2,036 passing yards and 15 touchdowns in nine games, that's a pace of 3,620 yards and 27 touchdowns through the air, which is about 400 more yards and six more passing touchdowns than Vick's best passing season. The electrifying second-year playmaker is on pace for 1,248 yards and 11 rushing scores. Roughly 200 more yards and two more runs to the end zone than Vick's best rushing season.
Vick finished as the No. 5 quarterback in fantasy football in 2010 and 12th in 2011. Jackson is currently the highest scoring player in all of fantasy and is on pace to score 436 fantasy points (Patrick Mahomes score 494 point in 2019).
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