Baltimore Ravens: Studs and duds vs. Jets on Thursday Night Football
Stud: Lamar Jackson
Could we start anywhere else? Lamar Jackson’s MVP case got even stronger on Thursday Night Football as the Ravens quarterback again controlled the game with his dual-threat abilities but also etched his name in the record books with his outing as well.
In the first half of the game, Jackson eclipsed Michael Vick for the single-season rushing yards record for a quarterback, besting the previous mark of 1,039. Jackson finished the night with over 1,100 yards on the season as he had eight carries for 86 yards (and there are still two games left in the regular season).
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For good measure, he also added another five-touchdown passing performance. While the passing yardage topped out at only 212 yards for Jackson, the Ravens quarterback was everything you want from the NFL MVP on Thursday. He made big plays with his legs numerous times, spread the ball around and diced up the New York secondary and simply put his team in a position to win every time he touched the ball.
Stud: James Hurst
Baltimore’s starting left tackle, Ronnie Stanley, was inactive for the Week 15 matchup against the Jets. For a team that relies so heavily on the protection up front, that could’ve been bad for the Ravens. However, James Hurst stepped up and played incredibly well for the Ravens offense.
While it’s fair to note that the Jets defense doesn’t exactly have the horses to attack a weak offensive line, Hurst still held strong on the edge and had a nice game. Jackson was only sacked once on the night and he had enough time to almost avoid it, suffering less than a one-yard loss on the play. It was a strong showing from a backup being forced into action.