Harbaugh: Lamar had 'MVP performance' in win over 49ers
Lamar Jackson took control of the MVP race with a virtuoso performance in the Baltimore Ravens' 33-19 win over the San Francisco 49ers, outshining a struggling Brock Purdy, the previous favorite for the award.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh heaped praise on his star quarterback, who threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns while leading Baltimore in rushing with 45 yards.
"I thought Lamar had an MVP performance," Harbaugh said, according to ESPN's Jamison Hensley. "It takes a team to create a performance like that, but it takes a player to play at that level - to play at an MVP level - it takes a player to play that way. And Lamar was all over the field doing everything."
Jackson has powered the Ravens - the NFL's only team with fewer than four losses - into pole position to claim the AFC's No. 1 seed and lone bye.
The 26-year-old isn't having the dominant statistical season usually required of an MVP. He's tied for 14th in touchdown passes (19) and completion percentage (66.3) and is 15th in passing yards (3,357).
However, Jackson is the driving force of an offense that sits fourth in points per game (27.8) and also ranks first among quarterbacks with 786 rushing yards.
"I think if anybody watched the game (or) if anybody watches football this season and watched the Baltimore Ravens, they know for a fact (that) Lamar Jackson is the MVP, hands down," Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith said.
"Anyone that watches football and knows football and (can) see the type of impact he has on the game - not even stat-wise, but just individually, the plays that he makes quarter in and quarter out, play in and play out - compare his film to anyone else in the league. Then, I would love to hear what anyone else has to say after that."
Jackson won his first MVP award in 2019 after leading Baltimore to a 12-3 record and the No. 1 seed while racking up an NFL-high 36 passing touchdowns and over 1,200 yards on the ground.
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