Baltimore's appreciation of Lamar Jackson knows no bounds.
The Ravens' star quarterback completed 17 of 22 passes for 281 yards and five touchdowns while adding 52 rushing yards in Monday night's 41-31 triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, bolstering his early quest for a third Most Valuable Player award.
"You know, I think we're just going to keep approaching every week, one week at a time, one game at a time, one play at a time, because that's what he's doing," head coach John Harbaugh said Monday night. "And he's doing it at a high, high, high level. I'm proud of him, I'm happy for him, he's a great leader and he's a great player, a great player. But we've got a game next week against the Browns and we've got to bring our best, and that's what he's thinking about."
Jackson said as much after leading his team to a fifth straight victory in primetime, a stage he's consistently flourished in over the course of his eight-year career.
"Nah, I'm chasing something right now, so each and every game is going to be the same thing for me," Jackson said about if playing on national stage matters to him. "I'm going to be the same person, every game I'm trying to win."
Jackson and Co. were slow out of the gate, falling to a 10-0 early deficit after a fruitless opening drive, but the Ravens would soon find their stride by virtue of their dynamic QB, scoring 34 unanswered points thanks to his stellar efficiency passing the ball. He consistently found open receivers with great accuracy against the Buccaneers' zone-heavy defense, finishing 14-of-16 passing for 256 yards and three TDs against zone coverage, per Next Gen Stats.
Rashod Bateman was the main benefactor of Jackson's aerial attack on Monday night, hauling in four receptions for 111 yards and two TDs and highlighting his career day with a seamless deep ball for a 49-yard score in the third quarter to make it a three-score game.
Baltimore never looked back, but even when the Ravens were determined to keep the ball on the ground and bleed the clock, Jackson was there to make plays -- as a blocker. Derrick Henry's 39-yard rumble in the fourth quarter was spearheaded by a speeding Jackson clearing the way. Had Henry's foot not gone out of bounds, he would've hit pay dirt on the play, but Jackson would find the Ravens RB six plays later through the air for his fifth passing TD.
"Yeah, I think it speaks for itself, that's the kind of stuff that he does," Harbaugh said of Jackson's effort on the play. "How about the way he runs? He is the ultimate competitor, there's no question about it. I don't know if I've seen a better competitor than Lamar Jackson. And I've seen some competitors, you know, some great competitors, but he is in that level with the greatest players I've ever seen. Maybe the greatest? We'll see. Just amazing."
Jackson's latest showing was the fifth career game in which he recorded five-plus passing TDs and zero interceptions, the most such performances in the NFL since he entered the league in 2018, according to NFL Research. It was also his fifth career game with a 155-plus passer rating, tying him with Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger for the most such games in NFL history.
"He does it better than anybody in the league and we're so fortunate to be with him and just try to help him out," tight end Mark Andrews said. "He lays it out on the line every game and is just really awesome. He's the best, man, he's MVP."
