Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson is the first NFL defender to run 1,000 yards in a row, and is making a strong case that he is already the best double threat in the league’s history.
With his breathtaking speed and jaw-dropping elusiveness, Jackson reached 1,000 yards with a 7-yard run in the third quarter of Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. The current NFL MVP entered Sunday’s game needing 92 yards to reach the milestone.
Jackson is about to become the second quarterback to win the NFL MVP and make the playoffs in his first three seasons in the league, joining Dan Marino. The Ravens can guarantee a spot as a wild card by defeating Cincinnati.
The only other defender to pass 1,000 yards running in one season was Michael Vick in 2006. Jackson topped 1,000 yards running in two of his first three NFL seasons, setting a single season record for defenders last season with 1,206 yards.
For defenders, posting long consecutive seasons proved elusive. Before Jackson, the two previous quarterbacks who ran for more than 900 yards in one season (Randall Cunningham and Vick) recorded less than 600 yards in the next season.
Jackson’s race propelled the Baltimore race into the postseason. Winning four consecutive games on Sunday, Jackson averaged 83.2 yards running.