Antonio Brown makes stance clear on Lamar Jackson's MVP chances after demolishing 49ers on MNF

Is Lamar Jackson bound to receive another accolade?

On Christmas, the 2019 MVP quarterback led the Baltimore Ravens to a monstrous 33-19 rout of the San Francisco 49ers. The game all but ended in the third quarter, when Jackson threw consecutive touchdown passes to wideouts Nelson Agholor and Zay Flowers.

After the game, former wide receiver Antonio Brown made a strong case for Jackson on X/Twitter, saying:

"Lamar Jackson MVP."

The Ravens only need to defeat the Miami Dolphins at home on Sunday to clinch the AFC's top seed and a first-round bye.

A statistical breakdown of Lamar Jackson, Ravens' 2023 dominance

In 2022, the Baltimore Ravens were surprisingly middling for a 10-7 team, as injuries hobbled the offense throughout the season, with the most important being to wide receivers Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay, which robbed Lamar Jackson of two passing targets.

The result? Only 3,202 passing/receiving yards, the third worst in the league. After the season, offensive coordinator Greg Roman was not retained. Todd Monken replaced him.

Desperate to retain his star quarterback, who had announced a lockout in response to being franchise-tagged, general manager Eric DeCosta decided to commit to bolstering the passing game. Within just over two weeks, he signed Super Bowl-winning free agent wideouts Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham Jr.

The signings worked. A day before the Draft, Jackson agreed to end his holdout and signed a then-record five-year, $260-million contract extension. On the draft itself, DeCosta selected another wideout in Zay Flowers with the 22nd overall pick.

The result? While they have fewer passing/receiving yards, at only 3,143, they have jumped eight spots to 22nd. But it is in the other areas where their dominance in 2023 shines.

The Ravens remain among the NFL's top rushing teams at 2,395 yards (most) and 24 rushing touchdowns (second most only behind the Miami Dolphins). And that is without JK Dobbins, who tore his Achilles in their season opener against the Houston Texans.

They are also in the top 10 in multiple defensive categories:

Ninth-fewest passing yards allowed (3,328)
Fewest passing touchdowns allowed (15)
Joint third-most interceptions (16)
Eighth-most interception return yards (224)
Sixth-fewest passing first downs allowed (154)
Second-best passing first down percentage (.267)
Fewest rushing touchdowns allowed (five)
Fourth-fewest rushing first downs allowed (82)
Fourth-best rushing first down percentage (.820)
Most sacks (54)

They are also at the top in field goals (31) and extra points made (42), and have had a punt return touchdown.