It is a near guarantee that Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will win the 2023 NFL MVP Award. Jackson has led the Ravens to the top seed in the AFC, tossed seven touchdowns to no picks in his last two games, and posted a beautiful 102.7 quarterback rating. The 2019 league MVP has done it again, playing at an elite level while uplifting his team to the best odds to win the Super Bowl come February. However, despite being the heavy favorite to win his second MVP Award after a stellar 2023 campaign, the numbers suggest another star should hoist the award come season’s end. Dallas Cowboys signal-caller Dak Prescott.
2023 NFL season stats:
Lamar Jackson Dak Prescott
16 Games Played 17
102.7 Pass Rating 105.9
29/13 Total TD/TO 38/11
67.18% Comp pct 69.4%
4,499 Total Yards 4,758
29 Total… https://t.co/rBz1n4FXr5 pic.twitter.com/rdLaALyKmZ— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 9, 2024
Dallas Cowboys QB Dake Prescott: Statistically Dwarfs Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson
Prescott and the Cowboys finished the season 12-5, winning the NFC East and earning the second seed in the NFC Playoffs. Prescott threw for a league-best 36 touchdowns in 17 games while accumulating 4,516 passing yards against nine picks. The eight-year NFL veteran finished the 2023 season with 4,758 total yards, 38 touchdowns, a 69.4% completion percentage, and a stellar 105.9 quarterback rating. The Cowboys scored a league-high 29.9 points per game while giving up 18.5 points per game, the fifth-best mark in the NFL.
Conversely, the Baltimore Ravens will enjoy next weekend off, securing the top seed in the AFC. Jackson’s club won one more game than Prescott’s, while he played one less contest than the Cowboy’s signal caller. Jackson finished the season with 4,499 total yards, 29 touchdowns, 13 turnovers (two more than Prescott in one less game), and a 67% completion percentage. Even if Jackson played the entire 17-game schedule like Prescott, he would fall well short in touchdowns and completion percentage while already having more turnovers. The Ravens finished with the fourth-highest scoring offense while housing the best defense in the league regarding points per game allowed.
2023 MVP Award Odds
Per Bleacher Report, Lamar Jackson sits at -20000 odds to win the MVP (bet $100, win $100.50), all but confirming Jackson as the winner. Prescott has the second-best odds at +1800 (bet $100, win $1,900). It’s a shame that the race for the award is nonexistent despite Prescott’s team winning one less game and him having a better season statistically. Jackson undoubtedly deserves his flowers. He played phenomenally and led his team to the best record in football. However, he played with the best defense in football.
Regardless, the MVP has become a quarterback award, with San Francisco 49ers superstar running back Christian McCaffrey having the fourth-best odds (+4000). In a year without a true outlier at quarterback, McCaffrey totaled a league-best 2,203 tards from scrimmage and 21 touchdowns but remains an afterthought for MVP.
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