Sunday afternoon, the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots will face off in a battle of two of the top AFC teams. During this game, second-year quarterback Lamar Jackson has the opportunity to make NFL history once again. All he has to do is rush for 100 yards and become the first quarterback to achieve this feat since Bill Belichick became the Patriots head coach in 2000.
According to Field Yates of ESPN, New England has never allowed a quarterback to rush for 100-plus yards in the Belichick era, which spans 20 years. This includes battles against Russell Wilson of the Seahawks, Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles, and Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers. Jackson has the opportunity to become the first QB to do so.
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Additionally, the former first-round pick out of Louisville can make history in another way if he rushes for 100 or more yards. Doing so would give him three consecutive games with at least 100 rushing yards, which is something that no QB in NFL history has ever done.
Through seven games, Jackson has rushed for more than 100 yards in three different games. He reached 120 against the Arizona Cardinals in week 2, 152 against the Cincinnati Bengals in week 6, and 117 against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7. Jackson leads the Ravens with 576 yards on 83 carries and has averaged more than seven yards per attempt.
Using his legs, the Ravens’ QB has been able to complement the rushing attack led by Mark Ingram while also keeping defenses guessing. Defenses have had to focus on Jackson and the running game, which has opened up further opportunities for tight end Mark Andrews and the receiving corps. led by Marquise Brown. The end result has been a 5-2 record and first place in the AFC North.
That being said, the Patriots’ defense has been on a historic streak to start the 2019 season. This group leads the NFL with 19 interceptions and has been holding offenses in check. Cornerback, Stephon Gilmore has allowed a passer rating of 36.0 through eight games. For comparison, throwing the ball directly into the ground on every single play would result in a passer rating of 39.6.
Against the run, this defense has not been elite, but they have only allowed two players to rush for 100 or more yards. Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns reached 131 yards in week 8 while Frank Gore of the Buffalo Bills topped out at 109 yards in week 4. Other than those two games, opposing rushing attacks have struggled.
If Jackson can top 100 yards on the ground, he will become the first quarterback to ever do so against the Belichick-led Patriots, and he will continue his historic start to the NFL season. More importantly to the Ravens, he will give his team a better opportunity to achieve victory.
Photo Credit: Alika Jenner/Getty Images
