Ravens QB Lamar Jackson Wins AFC Player of the Month
The true mark of an elite player is being at their best when it matters most.
With the AFC North and No. 1 seed in the conference hanging in the balance and a pair of the NFL's elite teams on the opposing sideline in the final month of the season, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson took his game to another level. Jackson's performance in his final four games earned him the AFC Player of the Month for December.
Lamar Jackson vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Corey Perrine/USA Today
Jackson completed 79 of 123 passes for 1,060 yards and threw 11 touchdowns compared to just two interceptions. Baltimore went 4-0 in December with wins over the Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins.
The Rams, 49ers and Dolphins each made the playoffs, while the Jaguars were eliminated on the final day of the season after leading the AFC South for most of the year.
Jackson's performances against San Francisco and Miami cemented what will likely be the second MVP of his career. Against the 49ers in a battle between the top teams in their respective conferences, he completed 23 of 35 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-19 win on Christmas.
He was also dazzling against the Dolphins, completing 18 of 21 passes for 321 yards and five touchdowns and had a perfect passer rating in a 56-19 win that won the AFC North and earned the No. 1 seed in the conference on Dec. 31.
While the accolades are mounting for Jackson, who is just in his sixth year in the NFL, there's one that he's missing and is his lone focus heading into the playoffs.
"I haven't accomplished what I wanted to yet, so that's why that chip is still on my shoulder," he said on Tom Brady's "Let's Go" Podcast. I want that Super Bowl. That's the accolade that I really want so bad."
Baltimore has a bye in the first round of the playoffs and will return on either Jan. 20 or 21 at M&T Bank Stadium.
