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NFL · 1 year ago

5 Reasons Why Lamar Jackson Won’t Win the 2024 NFL MVP Award

Grant White

Host · Writer

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Lamar Jackson Ended the Regular Season on Bad Footing
All of the praise was directed at Jackson throughout the season; however, that chatter started declining in the campaign's latter stages. The Ravens started depending more on Derrick Henry and its defense, taking some of the shine off Jackson's accomplishments.

Jackson has thrown for more than 217 yards just twice in the second half of the season. One of those efforts came against the lowly New York Giants, with the other netting him 237 passing yards against the Philadelphia Eagles. That tepid end to the season could sway voters looking for a more complete effort.

Further, those concerns could be even more amplified if Baltimore can't get past the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. While Jackson has become the focal point of the MVP conversation, he's not deserving of all the adoration.

NFL Divisional Round Rankings: Teams | Quarterbacks | Coaches | Wild Card Losers
Lamar Jackson Hasn't Led the Ravens Over the Hump
The NFL's All-Pro announcement caused a cataclysmic shift in the MVP betting odds. Josh Allen was the presumptive favorite until Lamar Jackson was named to the All-Pro first team. As a result, most sportsbooks took the NFL MVP odds off the board, needing to recalibrate the odds. Even though he earned the distinction as the best quarterback in the NFL, there are five reasons Lamar Jackson won't be named the MVP.

First, he has yet to lead the Baltimore Ravens to the promised land. This year's AFC North winners have consistently come up short in the postseason. The Ravens have just three playoff wins with Lamar Jackson under center, going 3-5 overall.

Most MVP-winning quarterbacks can point to playoff success if not Super Bowl Championships, but Lamar Jackson cannot.

Ravens vs. Bills Odds & Predictions, Free Picks, Prop Bets Today & Injury Updates
Lamar Jackson Wasn't Even the MVP of the Ravens
There's an argument to be made that Lamar Jackson wasn't even the MVP of the Baltimore Ravens. The emergence of Derrick Henry alleviated the pressure off Jackson, and we should be talking about Henry as the MVP.

Henry had his best season since winning the Offensive Player of the Year award back in 2020. The Ravens' bruising back totaled 1,921 rushing yards on 325 carries, both of which were among the best marks of his career. Moreover, he led the league in touchdowns while averaging 113.0 rushing yards per game.

The Ravens wouldn't have been the same team without Henry. Further, Lamar Jackson wouldn't have been able to do what he did without Henry in the backfield.

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Lamar Jackson Isn't In the Same Stratosphere as Other Back-to-Back Winners
Since the NFL first started handing out the MVP award in 1957, there have only been a handful of back-to-back winners. Jim Brown, Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and Aaron Rodgers are the only players to claim the distinction. It's too early to elevate Lamar Jackson to that stratosphere just yet.

While Jackson's performance was exceptional, there are several players who had arguably better seasons. The aforementioned Derrick Henry should be given consideration, as should Saquon Barkley, Jared Goff, and Joe Burrow.

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Deteriorating Rushing Metrics
Lamar Jackson has separated himself from the pack with his elite rushing metrics. While he remains a dangerous dual-threat quarterback, this was far from his most productive rushing season.

The Ravens didn't depend on their quarterback to run the ball this season, and his metrics reflect that. Jackson's rushing attempts per game were a career-low 8.2, and his 53.8 rushing yards per game were the third-lowest mark of his career.

Jackson's role on the team eroded somewhat in 2024, diminishing his MVP candidacy.

NFL Divisional Round Matchup Pages: Texans vs. Chiefs | Ravens vs. Bills | Rams vs. Eagles | Commanders vs. Lions
Lamar Jackson Ended the Regular Season on Bad Footing
All of the praise was directed at Jackson throughout the season; however, that chatter started declining in the campaign's latter stages. The Ravens started depending more on Derrick Henry and its defense, taking some of the shine off Jackson's accomplishments.

Jackson has thrown for more than 217 yards just twice in the second half of the season. One of those efforts came against the lowly New York Giants, with the other netting him 237 passing yards against the Philadelphia Eagles. That tepid end to the season could sway voters looking for a more complete effort.

Further, those concerns could be even more amplified if Baltimore can't get past the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. While Jackson has become the focal point of the MVP conversation, he's not deserving of all the adoration.

NFL Divisional Round Rankings: Teams | Quarterbacks | Coaches | Wild Card Losers
Lamar Jackson Hasn't Led the Ravens Over the Hump
The NFL's All-Pro announcement caused a cataclysmic shift in the MVP betting odds. Josh Allen was the presumptive favorite until Lamar Jackson was named to the All-Pro first team. As a result, most sportsbooks took the NFL MVP odds off the board, needing to recalibrate the odds. Even though he earned the distinction as the best quarterback in the NFL, there are five reasons Lamar Jackson won't be named the MVP.

First, he has yet to lead the Baltimore Ravens to the promised land. This year's AFC North winners have consistently come up short in the postseason. The Ravens have just three playoff wins with Lamar Jackson under center, going 3-5 overall.

Most MVP-winning quarterbacks can point to playoff success if not Super Bowl Championships, but Lamar Jackson cannot.

Ravens vs. Bills Odds & Predictions, Free Picks, Prop Bets Today & Injury Updates

undefined Game Odds

May 15 6:40 PM

SpreadMoneyTotal

PHI

PHI

+1.5

+116

O 8

PIT

PIT

-1.5

-134

U 8

May 15 6:45 PM

SpreadMoneyTotal

TOR

TOR

-1.5

-126

O 8

DET

DET

+1.5

+108

U 8

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