Lamar Jackson Has Another Mesmerizing Performance

Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens looks to pass the ball against B.J. Hill #92 of the Cincinnati Bengals during the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., on Nov. 7, 2024. Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews called quarterback Lamar Jackson the “best player in the world.”

Jackson boosted his status for a third NFL MVP award against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night.

The Ravens overcame a 14-point second-half deficit for a spirited 35-34 victory that kept them in second place in the AFC North. Jackson completed 25-of-33 pass attempts for 290 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions for a 141.4 passer rating.

Through 10 games, Jackson has an NFL-best 123.2 rating, with 24 touchdowns and two interceptions. His teammates marvel at his success.

“He brings a different level of intensity and carries the team on his back week-in and week-out,” Andrews said in a locker room interview following the game. “For us, again, it’s belief, it’s not quitting, and understanding that we have the best player in the world on our team, and we’re never out of it.”

The Bengals did a solid job containing Jackson for almost three quarters before he began to rally his team. He threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Andrews to give the Ravens their first lead, 28–21, with 5:50 left in the fourth quarter.

After Cincinnati tied the game, Jackson came through again with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Rashod Bateman for a 35–28 lead with just 1:49 remaining.

The Bengals answered when Ja'Marr Chase caught a 5-yard scoring pass from Joe Burrow. However, Cincinnati could not convert the 2-point conversion, and the Ravens held on for the victory.

In the fourth quarter, Jackson was 11-of-13 for 197 yards and three touchdowns for a perfect 158.3 rating.

“What can you say? We have seen it before, and I just think Lamar Jackson took that game on his shoulders, like he does,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said at the postgame news conference. “Lamar was the leader.”

Jackson became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to record a passer rating of 100 or higher in eight consecutive games within a season, joining Tom Brady (2007 and 2010), Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (2004 and 2005), and Aaron Rodgers (2011), according to the Ravens public relations staff.

Jackson also became the third player all-time with at least 275 passing yards and a passer rating of 100 or higher in six consecutive games, joining Peyton Manning, who accomplished the feat with seven consecutive games from 2012–2013 and six in 2012, and Aaron Rodgers who had seven in 2011.

With the game on the line, the Ravens knew they were in good hands with Jackson. He is now on his way to winning a third NFL MVP award and is one of the most dynamic players in the history of the league.

“I don’t know who else you would want to have back there,” said Ravens wide receiver Tylan Wallace, who caught an 84-yard touchdown pass. “Lamar makes plays out of nothing; a lot of quarterbacks in the league probably can’t [do that], so just having him back there, having that trust in him, having him trust us, you couldn’t ask for anything better.”