Lamar Jackson silences doubters with record performance in Ravens' comeback vs. Colts
It's official: NFL defenses have not figured out Lamar Jackson.
The latest installment of Jackson's Superman-like performances came against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football.
In total, the Colts allowed 504 total yards to Mr. Jackson. The 2019 MVP racked up 442 of those through the air, missing the mark on just six attempts, as he carved up a downtrodden secondary to the tune on an 86% completion rate (37-for-43) and four TDs.
He added 62 additional yards on 14 rushes.
It appears Jackson might remain the most difficult player to "figure out" in all of football – a quarterback who could simultaneously serve as the best athlete on the field at any given time.
Still, despite winning unanimous MVP at age 22, skepticism has enveloped his career, even entering this season, as questions about his arm talent, leadership, and ability to win a playoff game have lived on.
But no criticism has been more prominent than the questions aimed at his right arm, and Monday night might very well have been the statement game to parry those doubts away for the time being – and possibly, forever.
Skip Bayless certainly thinks so.
"I'm not sure I've ever seen one man dominate a game the way he dominated it," Bayless said Tuesday morning on "Undisputed." "He's by far their leading rusher and throws for 442. It's extraordinary. Magic happened, and he's got a competitive backbone in him unlike any in his league.
"When it's time, you just see that look in his eye."
Shannon Sharpe also glowed with excitement about Jackson's performance.
"You can't get any better than that," Sharpe exclaimed. "The guy that many wanted to switch positions – play running back, play receiver – did that. Everything was spot on. It's hard for me to say he's had a better game."
Skip and Shannon weren't the only ones to grace Jackson with praise following the outing.
Colin Cowherd was equally impressed.
"I admit, I had questions about Lamar Jackson," Cowherd conceded on "The Herd." "He was kind of skinny [coming into the league], he ran a little too much, he got hit really hard, had a weird throwing motion, and his first year in the league, he wasn't terribly accurate. But if you still don't get Lamar Jackson, you're just not paying attention. You're trying to be right.
"He can not only get you to the Super Bowl, he should be a favorite. Sometimes I watch him and I feel like it's a lightning storm. It's electric."
And for Jackson's coach John Harbaugh, the evaluation was simple.
"It's one of the best performances I've ever seen."
Through five weeks, Jackson's 1,519 passing yards are fifth-best league-wide, while he's eighth in the league in rushing with more yards than 24 starting running backs. He also has led the charge on three different comeback expeditions through the Ravens' current four-game winning streak.
On Monday night, he set a team record for passing yards, while igniting the third-largest comeback in Ravens' history (19 points). His 335 yards in the second half is more than his previous career-high for an entire game (324).
He's also currently gained more total yards individually than 17 teams.
So much for a lack of arm ability.
Here's how the rest of the internet responded after Jackson's legendary showing:
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