Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff WriterDec 31, 2023, 04:19 PM ET
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Jamison Hensley is a reporter covering the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011, covering the AFC North before focusing exclusively on the Ravens beginning in 2013. Jamison won the National Sports Media Association Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018, and he authored a book titled: Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore Ravens. He was the Ravens beat writer for the Baltimore Sun from 2000-2011.
BALTIMORE — In a game and performance reminiscent of 2019, Lamar Jackson looked like the unquestioned NFL MVP as the Ravens clinched the AFC North title and the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
With Jackson recording a perfect passer rating (158.3) and throwing five touchdowns, the Ravens routed the Miami Dolphins 56-19 on Sunday to secure a first-round bye as well as home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
It’s just the second time that the Ravens have earned the AFC’s No. 1 seed in the franchise’s 28-year existence.
“I don’t know if I’ve seen a more impressive performance in a game,” said Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who celebrated by dancing in the middle of the locker room. “I just think the way they’ve approached every single game this year — from the beginning on through adversity, travel, quality of opponents — put an exclamation point on it … triple exclamation points on it. … I just have so much respect for them.”
Entering Sunday as the betting favorite for NFL MVP, Jackson produced his third career game with a perfect passer rating, which is tied for the second most in NFL history. He trails only Ben Roethlisberger, who has done it four times.
Jackson, who has one playoff win in his first five NFL seasons, told teammates this week: “Make it to February. That’s our goal.”
“Knowing that we still have a lot to get going on, we got to finish this season the right way,” Jackson said. “We had one obstacle. We finished that obstacle. We got the Steelers next week. So that’s how I’m staying focused this season. Just taking it one game at a time like I’ve been preaching to you guys all season.”
Jackson finished with his most accurate game of the season (85.7%), completing 18-of-21 passes for 321 yards. With fans chanting “MVP” with every score, he threw touchdowns of 20 yards to Justice Hill, 75 yards to Zay Flowers, 35 and 7 yards to Isaiah Likely and 4 yards to Patrick Ricard.
It was Jackson’s first five-touchdown game since his 2019 NFL MVP season.
“I was like a little kid at the movie theater, except I didn’t have popcorn,” Ravens middle linebacker Roquan Smith said of watching Jackson. “It was pretty sweet, man.”
It appears Jackson, who might sit out the regular-season finale, is on course for his second NFL MVP award despite being tied for 10th in touchdown passes (24) and 13th in passing yards (3,678). No quarterback has ever won MVP when ranking outside the top 10 in touchdown passes and passing yards, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
“Without question, Lamar Jackson is MVP,” offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley said.
Added wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.: “There’s no debating.”
“He’s magical,” outside linebacker Odafe Oweh said. “I feel like he’s still the MVP. Lamar has been ‘him.’ Always been ‘him.’ He told us at the beginning of this year that he got us and there was no one that didn’t believe him. So, I’m proud of him.”
The Ravens’ 56 points are tied for the most against a team that entered a game with at least 10 wins in the Super Bowl era. It is also the largest margin of victory over a club with 10 or more wins since 2009, when the New York Jets beat the Cincinnati Bengals 37-0.
The Ravens continue to play their best against the best, improving to 7-1 against teams who entered with a winning record this season. Baltimore has a plus-170 point margin in those games, which is the biggest point differential against teams with a winning record in the Super Bowl era.
“This is the best team I’ve been on in the NFL ever in my life,” said Beckham, a nine-year veteran who won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.
Staying at home for the playoffs is a rarity for the Ravens. Despite the Ravens’ success in the postseason — two Super Bowls and four AFC Championship Game appearances — Baltimore has played at home only seven times in 28 playoff games.
The Ravens are hoping they can take advantage of the No. 1 seed more than they did in 2019. Baltimore was upset by the Tennessee Titans 28-12 in the AFC divisional round.
“We remember 2019,” Harbaugh said. “It’s going to be something that we’re not going to take it for granted, not that we ever would. But it’s one more thing that kind of makes you who you are at this point in time. So we haven’t forgotten that.”
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