Even though Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is a strong candidate for his third MVP award, he is focused on a different goal: winning the Super Bowl for the first time in his seven-year career.
Jackson’s impressive season continued on Monday night when he passed for 281 yards and five touchdowns in Baltimore’s 41-31 win against Tampa Bay. After starting the season with two losses, the Ravens (5-2) have won five games in a row and are tied with Pittsburgh for the top spot in the AFC North.
Jackson has thrown for 1,810 yards and is second in the NFL with 15 touchdown passes. However, winning another MVP is not his main concern.
“I’m chasing something right now, so each and every game is going to be the same thing for me,” Jackson said. “I’m going to be the same person. Every game, I’m trying to win.”
The addition of Derrick Henry has greatly helped the Ravens, who have the best offense in the NFL in yards per game (461.4) and scoring (31.1 points). The 30-year-old Henry is still playing at a high level and has been tough for teams to handle with his physical style.
Henry finished with 169 yards on 15 carries against the Buccaneers and also caught a touchdown pass. He leads the NFL with 873 rushing yards, far ahead of San Francisco’s Jordan Mason, who is in second place with 667 yards.
“I think that’s just the definition of this team is just being resilient, and believing in one another and playing complementary football, which we try to talk about,” Henry said.
“I think it’s just in the preparation, though — how we practice, and how we attack each and every practice. Guys just coming and wanting to get better collectively and make each other better, and I think that speaks volumes, and it’s paying off on game days.”
While the Ravens’ offense is performing well, the defense has some issues, especially in the secondary. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 31 of 45 passes for 370 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Baltimore’s pass defense is currently the worst in the NFL, allowing 287.1 yards per game. This is a significant weakness that needs to be addressed if the Ravens want to win their first championship since the 2012 season.
“There are too many big pass plays,” coach John Harbaugh said.
