Lamar Jackson Just Joined Dan Marino in NFL History
The Baltimore Ravens made the right decision in selecting Lamar Jackson in the 2018 NFL draft. In his third season, Jackson has already made a name for himself and has become one of the league’s top players. The talented quarterback has quickly become a fan favorite in Baltimore, and he has a bright future ahead of him.
Recently he joined Hall of Famer Dan Marino in NFL history after the Ravens defeated the Indianapolis Colts.
Lamar Jackson started his career as a backup quarterback
During his rookie season, Jackson started as the backup quarterback to Joe Flacco. He made his NFL debut against the Buffalo Bills, relieving Flacco in the second half. Jackson finished the game with 24 passing yards, and 39 rushing yards as the Ravens defeated the Bills 47-3. The former Heisman Trophy winner scored his first NFL touchdown during Week 7 against the New Orleans Saints on a one-yard touchdown run.
His first start came on November 18, 2018, against the Cincinnati Bengals. He replaced Flacco, who was dealing with a hip injury. Jackson had an impressive performance in his debut as a starter. He set a Ravens franchise record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game as he rushed for 117 yards in the victory.
Jackson started in seven regular-season games as a rookie and finished with a 6-1 record. He helped the Ravens clinch the AFC North title, and he finished the regular season with 1,201 passing yards and six passing touchdowns. Jackson also led all quarterbacks with 695 rushing yards, and he added five rushing touchdowns. He became the youngest quarterback to start in a playoff game as the Ravens took on the LA Chargers. The Ravens lost a close one 23-17, and that was the end of Jackson’s first season. Jackson was ready to compete at a high-level during the 2019 season, and he did just that.
Lamar Jackson’s 2019 MVP season
Coming into the 2019 season, Jackson was the Ravens starting quarterback. In the season-opener, Jackson had a big performance against the Miami Dolphins. He threw for a career-high 324 yards and five touchdowns as the Ravens rolled past the Dolphins, winning 59-10. Throughout the season, Jackson continued to put up impressive numbers.
In Week 11, against the Houston Texans, he became the first quarterback in franchise history to throw four or more touchdowns in a game multiple times during the regular season after throwing for 222 yards and four touchdowns. Jackson was putting up video game numbers throughout the season and was making a strong case for the MVP award.
He finished the 2019 season leading the Ravens to a 13-2 record and throwing for 3,127 yards, and he led the league in passing touchdowns with 36. Jackson also set an NFL record for most rushing yards in a single season by a quarterback with 1,206. There was no question that he would win the NFL MVP award, and he did win the award in his second season.
Lamar Jackson joining Dan Marino in the record books during the 2020 season
In his third season, Jackson continues to lead the Ravens to success during the regular season. Through eight games, the Ravens are 6-2 and are second in the AFC North behind the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are 8-0. After the Ravens defeated the Indianapolis Colts, Jackson secured a place in NFL history for wins during the regular season.
According to ESPN, through 30 career starts during the regular season, Jackson has a record of 25-5, which ties him with Dan Marino for the best start by a quarterback since 1966.
“It’s pretty cool, I’m up there with a Hall of Famer,” Jackson said in an ESPN article. “But you still got to win each and every game. So, it’s all right.” Ever since Jackson took over as the starting quarterback in the middle of the 2018 season, he has put the Ravens in many positions to win games, and that’s something he wants to continue to do.
