The Baltimore Ravens came through with another statement win this past Sunday, hammering the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 37-3. Lamar Jackson went 21-for-26 with 187 yards while carrying the ball 10 times for 60 yards in the victory, and afterward, Doug Clawson of CBS Sports posted some amazing facts about Jackson’s play this season.
Through the first nine weeks of 2023, Jackson leads all qualified quarterbacks in both completion percentage (71.5 percent ) and rushing yards (440). If that holds for the remainder of the season, it will make Jackson the first signal-caller to lead the NFL in both categories since Steve Young in 1992.
Clawson adds that Young in 1992 was also the last quarterback to even pace the league in both stats through Week 9, so Jackson is already in elite company.
Another interesting fact to note is that typically, quarterbacks who lead the league in completion percentage are pocket quarterbacks who don’t run the football. Young is one of the few exceptions, and we know Jackson may very well be the most athletic signal-caller ever.
To further illustrate that point, only two quarterbacks led the NFL in completion percentage and rushed for even 100 yards between 1999 and 2019: Matt Ryan and David Carr.
Clawson notes that Parker Hall topped the league in completion percentage while rushing for 458 yards for the Cleveland Rams back in 1939, which makes you understand how truly rare of a feat this really is.
Finally, one of the most intriguing things about all of this is that Jackson ranked just 25th in completion percentage a year ago. Since 1970, no quarterback has led the NFL in completion percentage after finishing 25th or lower the year prior.
Basically, Lamar Jackson is having a historic season, and the Ravens are reaping the benefits at 7-2. Baltimore will take on the Cleveland Browns in an AFC North clash next weekend.
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