Lamar Jackson

Reigning MVP Jackson sprinted at 21 miles per hour on his 37-yard TD run in the third quarter of the Ravens' narrow 30-28 victory at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 6.

The third-year signal caller had 108 yards rushing on nine carries, in addition to passing for 186 yards and one touchdown. It was the eighth time in his NFL career – including the postseason – that he has reached triple figures in both categories in the same game, tying the record held by Michael Vick.

Jackson turned back to check if he was going to be caught when he stepped inside the 20, which is something he admitted he should not have done.

Asked what it feels like when you turn around and realise no one will stop you, he said: "I don't like what you just said there because usually when I think I'm not gonna get caught and I start slowing down, people always give extra effort and I'm getting slapped on the foot and stumbling and no touchdown. So, I've got to do better.

"I'm not going to look back next time, just keep my eyes forward and get all the way to the end zone because I don't need no mishaps."

On the speed he displayed, Jackson added: "Well, I slowed down. I just had to burst. A lot of guys did a great job with their assignments, I just had to be ready and do the rest. My number was called and I'm gonna try to finish it."

Jackson's third-quarter score put the Ravens up 24-6, but Carson Went found Jason Croom and Travis Fulgham for touchdowns that were followed by two-point conversions.

Wentz scored a one-yard touchdown inside the final two minutes, but Matthew Judon and L.J. Fort stopped him and Boston Scott running in a game-tying two-point conversion.

"I was thinking 'read zone' because they had run it multiple times earlier," said former Eagles linebacker Fort.

"Me and Judon were able to make the stop. You always want to make big plays, especially coming from a team that let you go. So, that was a great feeling, and to be able to get the closer was the cherry on top."

The New England Patriots could not prevent 'Mr Unlimited' from throwing a quintet of touchdown passes, to five different receivers, before a goal-line stand from the Seattle Seahawks defense at the death earned Pete Carroll's team a 35-30 victory.

Pats head coach Bill Belichick, who doesn't throw praise around lightly, had suggested in the build-up that Wilson - a man who has never had an MVP vote in his eight-and-a-bit-year career - was the league's finest QB, but do the numbers back that up? 

Using Stats Perform data, we took a look at how Wilson's regular season and postseason numbers compare to the NFL's other leading passers since Week 11 of 2018, when reigning MVP Lamar Jackson made his first start.

PASSER RATING - 111.0 (1st)

Only seven QBs have posted a combined passer rating above 100 in this time frame and Wilson leads a septet of Ryan Tannehill, Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes, Jackson, Jimmy Garoppolo and Dak Prescott. Wilson has played 28 games - the most of that group - but has attempted fewer throws (847) than both Prescott (1,000) and Mahomes (982). 

PASSING YARDAGE - 7,036 (7th)

Before the Seahawks caved in to the 'Let Russ Cook' movement in 2020, a rush-orientated offense meant he was simply not afforded as many opportunities to shine as his peers. Wilson is 10th in attempts - 198 behind leader Tom Brady (1,045), though they have played the same amount of games. It is therefore impressive that he ranks seventh in yardage, even if he is well behind leader Prescott (8,065 yards).

YARDS-PER-ATTEMPT - 8.31 (1st)

What Wilson does with those throws is a far better reflection of his talent. There is no better deep-ball thrower in the NFL than Wilson - though Mahomes' Sunday touchdown bomb to Tyreek Hill might give his case some credence - and it is no surprise to see Wilson top the yards-per-attempt list.

PASSING PLAYS OF 25-PLUS YARDS - 66 (3rd)

That big arm naturally leads to big plays - and Wilson has had 66 completions of at least 25 yards in this time frame. Only Mahomes (71) and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (68) - the very epitome of boom or bust - have more such plays.

TOUCHDOWNS - 57 (2nd) and TOUCHDOWN PERCENTAGE - 6.7% (3rd)

Mahomes (63) and Wilson are way ahead of the rest in touchdown passes thrown but the Seahawks QB shades the 2018 MVP when it comes to how many of their attempts end with TDs (6.7 per cent to 6.4 per cent). Wilson trails the uber-efficient Tannehill (7.5 per cent) and Jackson (6.9 per cent) in that category.

INTERCEPTION PERCENTAGE - 0.9% (2nd)

Not turning the ball over is another important part of being a QB and Wilson is as safe as they come on that front. Only Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers - arguably the best ever when it comes to taking care of the football - has a better interception percentage (0.7 per cent), with Wilson tossing just eight picks on 847 attempts.

COMPLETION PERCENTAGE - 66.9% (10th)

A quick look at those above Wilson here - Derek Carr, Nick Foles, Teddy Bridgewater - shows this stat is not as important when it comes to determining who is the NFL's best. What is more illuminating is that, again, he has a better figure than Mahomes (64.9 per cent) and Jackson (63.2 per cent).

Consider too that only Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans has had more sacks (98) than Wilson (82), and you realise that the Seattle superstar has been doing all this without a stout offensive line.

Belichick isn't often wrong, and he was probably right when he said of Wilson "I don't really see anyone better than this player".

The Ravens' 2022 season ended with Sunday's 24-17 Wild Card loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, re-opening discussion on the 2018 NFL MVP's future after shelving talks during the regular season.

There has been an awkward relationship between Jackson and the franchise after the Ravens opted against handing the 26-year-old a new five-year contract in 2022, with the QB playing out the fifth-year option of his rookie deal this season.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh told reporters on Thursday that they are determined to keep Jackson.

"Lamar Jackson is our quarterback," Harbaugh said. "He's been our quarterback. Everything we've done in terms of building our offense and our team, putting people around him, is based around this young man, his talent, his ability and his competitiveness.

"I'll have my fingers crossed and my toes crossed, I'll be saying prayers, I've every faith it's going to get done. Eric wants him here, I want him here, [owner] Steve [Bisciotti] wants him here and Lamar wants to be here. It's going to work out."

Jackson, who represents himself, wants a guaranteed-money deal while the Ravens are likely to place the franchise tag on him if no deal is completed by March to ensure he does not become an unrestricted free agent.

DeCosta added that he was in constant communication with Jackson and hopeful on completing a new deal.

"It certainly takes two to tango but I think Lamar and I have a great relationship," DeCosta said.

"We communicate quite often. We spent some time together today as a matter of fact. We've spoken throughout the season multiple times. These negotiations, they all happen differently.

"We'll communicate effectively, we'll be as fair as we can be. We'll try to hammer out a deal. Hopefully we can get to that point."

When asked if Jackson would be Baltimore's Week 1 starting QB next season, DeCosta added: "I don’t see any reason why he won't be."

The Ravens fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman on Thursday, with Jackson to have input in his replacement, in a sign they are moving forward in the assumption he will remain.

Harbaugh added that he had no concerns over Jackson's durability, despite being unable to finish the past two seasons due to injury.

"He's a very durable player," he said. "I know that people might take issue with that. But I don't believe that there's going to be a problem going forward because I know how hard he works."

Jackson started 12 games in the 2022 season, with a completion rate of 62.3 per cent for 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions, adding three rushing TDs and 764 yards on the ground.

The All-Pro quarterback accounted for all but 19 of Baltimore's 523 yards of total offence in the game, completing 37 of 43 passes for a franchise-record 442 yards and four touchdowns and rushing for 62 more. 

Jackson is the first player in NFL history to post at least 400 yards passing, 50 yards rushing and four TD passes with no interceptions in a game.

While Jackson was a one-man show for the Ravens, he did get a bit of help – from Rodrigo Blankenship of the Colts. 

The second-year kicker played through a hip injury Monday and wrapped up a miserable weekend for kickers around the NFL by missing an extra point early in the third quarter before having a field goal blocked late in the fourth and missing a 47-yarder that would have won the game in regulation.

He did not get another chance at redemption, as Jackson and the Ravens took the ball in overtime and marched all the way down the field until the QB hit Marquise Brown for a five-yard touchdown pass to win it. 

Before the Baltimore comeback, Carson Wentz and the Colts had built a 25-9 lead with 12 minutes to play in the game. Wentz finished the night with 402 passing yards, including 76- and 42-yard touchdowns in the first half. 

But it was the Ravens who found a way to win once again, improving to 4-1 with their only loss coming in overtime to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1, while the Colts fell to 1-4. 

It will be a battle of two former MVPs and two of the hottest teams in the NFL when the Ravens host the Chiefs in Baltimore on Monday.

The Ravens, who lost in the divisional playoffs last season having posted a 14-2 record, and the Chiefs are both 2-0 heading into Week 3.

But speaking to reporters on Thursday amid plenty of hype regarding the showdown, Ravens quarterback and reigning MVP Jackson said: "It's just like any other game."

The Ravens will come up against former MVP and Super Bowl MVP Mahomes – who finished 27 of 47 for 302 passing yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 54 yards in Kansas City's 23-20 overtime win over the Los Angeles Chargers last week.

"I don't have to focus on Mahomes," Jackson said. "I got to focus on their defense. I got focus on scoring. I got to focus on my job and making my offense do our thing. But my defense has to worry about him."

The Ravens overcame a slow start to extend their regular-season winning streak to 14 games – the longest run since the Carolina Panthers reeled off 18 successive victories in 2014-15 – after topping the Houston Texans 33-16.

Jackson threw for 204 yards and a touchdown, while he rushed for 54 yards.

The Ravens and Chiefs were on track to meet in the AFC Championship game last season before Baltimore were upstaged by the Tennessee Titans as Kansas City went on to defeat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.

Asked if the Ravens eventually need to beat the Chiefs, Jackson said: "Yeah, eventually. And they're in our way right now, so that's our goal."

Jackson set Friday as the deadline to work out a new deal before shutting down negotiations to focus on the regular season, ESPN reported.

"As of right now, we're still talking," Jackson said after practice Wednesday. "The week isn't over yet."

The Ravens open the season by visiting the New York Jets on Sunday.

If a new contract isn’t signed in the next two days, Jackson will play the 2022 season on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, netting him $23 million.

The quarterback market has been booming this offseason, with Deshaun Watson, Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson each signing extensions with an average annual value of at least $46 million.

At 25-years-old and with an MVP award already on his mantle, Jackson could be looking for even more than that.

Jackson was unwilling to comment on whether he and the Ravens are close to a new deal.

"I have no clue," Jackson said. "You have to ask the guy who I'm talking to. You talk to the GM [Ravens' Eric DeCosta] about that."

Cornerback Marlon Humphrey and tight end Mark Andrews are among the Baltimore players who have said publicly that Jackson has kept his focus on preparing for the season and that the contract negotiations have not been a distraction.

Still, Jackson has been clear that he would like to secure his long-term future in Baltimore sooner rather than later.

"It was a pretty big risk [playing] last season. The year before," Jackson said. "I'm just playing football.

"Anything can happen. God forbid the wrong thing happens."

There has been a frosty relationship between the player and the franchise after the Ravens opted against handing the 26-year-old a new five-year contract in 2022.

The Ravens' season came to a close on Sunday, when they were eliminated in the Wild Card round at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals, with Jackson not featuring due to a knee injury.

Negotiations over a new long-term deal for Jackson are reportedly set for the coming weeks, though it remains unclear whether he will remain in Baltimore.

Ahead of those talks, Jackson posted a thinly-veiled message on Instagram which read: "When you have something good, you don't play with it.

"You don't take chances losing it. You don't neglect it. When you have something good, you pour into it. You appreciate it.

"Because when you take care of something good, that good thing takes care of you too."

Securing a contract agreement will not be an easy task and even if the two parties agree terms, that may not end speculation over his future.

Should the Ravens apply a non-exclusive franchise tag, the door would be opened for Jackson to hold negotiations with other teams ahead of a possible trade.

Jackson passed for 239 yards and ran for 107, becoming the first player ever to record four games with at least 200 passing and 100 rushing yards as the Ravens rebounded from a tough season-opening loss at the Las Vegas Raiders to defeat Patrick Mahomes and the reigning AFC champions. 

It was Jackson's first career win over fellow quarterback Mahomes, having lost the three previous head-to-head meetings in the NFL.

Sunday's game got off to a wild start as Tyrann Mathieu picked off Jackson on the third play of the game and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown, only to have the Ravens answer on their next possession with a bizarre sequence that saw Ty'Son Williams fumble at the one-yard line but team-mate Devin Duvernay picked it up and took it in for a score. 

That set the tone for a high-scoring affair in which Mahomes completed touchdown passes of 33, 40 and 46 yards, the last of which saw his favourite target Travis Kelce elude much of the vaunted Baltimore defence on the way to the end zone. 

That score put the Chiefs up 35-24 but Baltimore star Jackson led the Ravens right back with a boost from the defence. 

With just over two minutes to play in the third period, Tavon Young picked off Mahomes' pass to Kelce – the first interception the Chiefs quarterback has thrown in September in his NFL career. 

Jackson would cap the ensuing drive by running for a two-yard touchdown, and run it in again from one yard out the next time Baltimore had the ball to give the Ravens the lead. 

Mahomes got the Chiefs moving immediately, looking for the game-winning field goal, but Ravens rookie Odafe Oweh stripped Clyde Edwards-Helaire and recovered the fumble with 1:20 remaining. 

Kansas City used up all three of their remaining timeouts on the next possession, but Jackson sealed the win with a two-yard run on fourth-and-one. 

Justin Tucker posted the game-winning kick from 55-yards with two seconds left on the clock after reigning MVP Jackson led an ice-cold 38-yard field-goal drive with just over a minute remaining and the scores locked at 42-42.

Cleveland conceded a desperation last-play safety to close a wild AFC North affair, which cranked up a gear when Jackson was forced off the field with cramps after he had expertly guided Baltimore to a 14-point lead at the back end of the third quarter on Monday.

While the Ravens' offence stalled under second-year passer Trace McSorley, the Browns picked up speed. Baker Mayfield had thrown a 21-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to Rashad Higgins before the Cleveland passer scrambled in from five yards to flip the scores from 34-28 to 35-34 in the home side's favour with six minutes to play.

When McSorley went down hurt, Jackson was dramatically sent out for a fourth and five with the game effectively on the line.

After scrambling right, Jackson threw a 44-yard dart for receiver Marquise Brown to score and JK Dobbins added the two extra points to give the Ravens a 42-35 lead.

Mayfield was still not finished and responded with a 47-second, 75-yard touchdown drive as Kareem Hunt ran in a 22-yard score to level up at 42-42 before Jackson delivered the final, remarkable twist and Tucker held his nerve.

It marked the first game in NFL history in which both teams rushed for four-plus touchdowns, per Stats Perform.

Jackson had been at his brilliant best with the ball in hand, running for two touchdowns and 124 yards from nine carries, before he dragged himself off the treatment table to complete five of six passes for 82 yards and a TD at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Mayfield also shined under the spotlight, throwing for 346 yards, two TDs and his first interception in six matches as the Browns scored 22 of their 42 points in a breathless fourth quarter.

Baltimore's five rushing touchdowns and Cleveland's four combines for the equal most in a single game in NFL history, according to NFL Research. The only other two games with nine combined rushing touchdowns happened in 1922.

A gut-wrenching home loss saw the Browns' four-match winning streak halted as they dropped to 9-4, while the Ravens made up ground on their divisional rivals, improving to 8-5 as the race for the NFL playoffs hots up with three games remaining.

The Ravens (6-2) and Patriots (3-5) meet at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, with New England having won 10 of the 14 clashes between the teams all-time.

Newton, the 2015 NFL MVP, only joined the Patriots ahead of this season and comes up against Jackson, who took the individual honour in 2019.

Jackson praised Newton, saying: "I've been watching Cam since a long time, the whole country did.

"Everybody knows about Cam's Superman [celebration] and he was doing his thing. A lot of us look up to him, he's a mobile quarterback, and he's won titles, county championships, he got MVP and played in the Super Bowl, so I followed him a lot.

"I wanted to get to where he was at, and now I'm here and I get to play against him. So can't wait to do that."

Jackson added: "Just game recognising game. He's the real OG, Superman."

Newton has more rushing touchdowns (eight) than passing touchdowns (two) this season. The last player with that big a difference was Chicago's Johnny Lujack in 1950, when he finished with 11 rush TDs and just four pass TDs (minimum 100 pass attempts in a season).

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is wary of Newton, who threw two TD passes and rushed for another when he last faced Baltimore, in a 36-21 Carolina Panthers win in 2018.

"We've played Cam Newton before, the last time we played him he had a very good game against us," he said.

"So that's the challenge, he's an excellent quarterback, a very aware player and talented.

"He has a great arm, can beat you with his legs too, so that's the challenge this week."

The Ravens' home-field triumph over the Denver Broncos in Week 13 moved them to 8-4 this season, putting them third in the AFC playoff picture, but there was considerable concern about Jackson's fitness.

Harbaugh was optimistic about the injury following the match, stating it would not be a season-ending problem, and expected a swift recovery.

That is still the case, with Jackson not yet ruled out of contention for the upcoming matchup against the Steelers, though he conceded that was "less likely".

"He's been through the MRIs and I would say it's kind of week to week," Harbaugh told reporters on Monday.

"It's going to be a weekly thing. As the week goes on, we'll see for this week.

"He's probably less likely for this week, but it's not impossible. After that he'll become more and more likely."

If Jackson was unavailable, the Vikings would turn to Tyler Huntley – who took to the field against the Broncos and completed 27 of 32 passes for 187 yards and one interception.

Harbaugh is confident it would not affect their play significantly if Huntley had to deputise for Jackson, stating the pair are similar players.

"Our players have a lot of confidence in him. I'm sure a team like the Steelers, Huntley will take most of the reps this week, they will be preparing for both guys," he added.

"Both guys play a similar game, we run basically the same offense with both players so it won't really change anything.

"He's a player who has a lot of dynamics to his game. He can throw, he can run, now he's experienced, he was out there last year for five-to-seven games.

"If that's the way it goes, that's the way it goes. Our guys will be excited to play and we'll be fired up."

Baltimore attempted the two-point conversion after Jackson had led the Ravens to a touchdown with 12 seconds remaining, only for the 24-year-old's throw to narrowly miss Mark Andrews' fingertips in the endzone.

The Steelers therefore squeezed to a 20-19 victory, snapping a two-game losing streak after being inspired by Ben Roethlisberger, who threw two fourth-down touchdowns on Sunday.

But 2019 MVP Jackson, whose 60-yard drive during the closing two minutes set up a tantalising conclusion, bemoaned his lack of cutting edge as Baltimore opted for the winner-takes-all two-pointer as opposed to kicking for a point.

"I was in the moment," Jackson told reporters. "We just scored. I was cool with it. I wanted to win. I didn't want to go to overtime anyway.

"T.J. Watt's got range. He's a long guy. I had to throw around him and try to make something happen. That's all, I just came up short.

"We're just not finishing. We're always one play away. When we get down in the red zone, we've just got to fix that. We've just got to get in the lab and find ways to keep our drives going, try not to have sacks.

"I'm very confident. You saw the last drive. We were rolling, hitting passes, guys running their routes, catching the ball and getting YAC. We just do that consistently, we'll be fine. We just have to do it early and finish the whole game like that."

Jackson continues to be Baltimore's main outlet, once again making eight carries for 55 yards as the Ravens' lead rusher.

But the quarterback's passing was slightly off, throwing an avoidable pick in Baltimore's opening drive while he has now been sacked an already career-high 37 times in 11 starts this season, compared to the last when he suffered just 29 in four more starts.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, though, believes his team and coaching staff need to do more to protect Jackson.

"We can put him in a better position too in terms of getting the ball out quick with some of those calls," Harbaugh added. "Seven sacks is too many. It's way too many. That's on us as a coaching staff to get that cleaned up."

The Ravens (8-4), despite the loss, still lead the AFC North by one game as they next prepare to face the Cleveland Browns (6-6).

The Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Jackson ended negotiations for a long-term contract extension prior to Sunday's kick off of the new NFL season.  

Jackson will play for just over $23m on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, having previously said he would not continue to negotiate during the season.

"Despite best effort on both sides, we were unable to reach a contract extension with Lamar Jackson," Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement on Friday.

While talks will resume next offseason, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that while the offer to Jackson "eclipsed" the $242.5m one handed to Russell Wilson by the Denver Broncos earlier this year, "fully guaranteed money is believed to be at the heart of the issue".

Rapoport's sources also indicated the offer "fell short of the $230m, fully guaranteed deal that Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson received after Cleveland traded for Watson in March", and it is understood Watson's deal was the barometer used by Jackson in negotiations.

ESPN's Adam Schefter also reported on the deal, stating his sources believe Jackson turned down an offer worth around $250m.

The 2019 NFL MVP negotiated for himself with help from his mother and the NFL Players' Association, and the Ravens are expected to apply their franchise tag to prevent Jackson from hitting free agency if the sides are unable to reach a deal at the end of the season.

Even if no other quarterbacks sign lucrative deals in the meantime, exclusively tagging Jackson would cost the Ravens $45.4m in 2023 and $54.4m in 2024.

According to NFL reporter Chris Mortensen, Jackson rejected the offer of a six-year deal, with $133m fully guaranteed, more than Wilson's $124m and Kyler Murray's $103.3m with the Arizona Cardinals, though short by some way of Watson's $230m.

The Ravens kick off their season at the New York Jets on Sunday.

The Ravens kick off the new NFL season against the reigning Super Bowl champions, having lost the AFC Championship game against them in January.

It was a fourth loss in six postseason games with Jackson as their starting quarterback and a fourth defeat against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in his career.

However, the 27-year-old has brushed off any suggestions that Baltimore will be using the AFC Championship game as extra motivation on Thursday.

"Any game I play in, I feel like it's a revenge game," Jackson said, via the team's website. "I'm not just going to look at this game like a revenge game.

"Anybody we play, no matter if we've beaten them or lost to them in previous years, I just want to win."

Jackson has led the Ravens to their best records in the NFL since joining in 2018, going 14-2 in 2019 and 13-4 last year. In the regular season, he has the second-best record at 58-19 (.753).

Jackson, who became the youngest-ever two-time NFL MVP since the AFL merger in February, is keen to make a quick start, though he is not getting too far ahead of himself.

"We have to win regular season games [in order] to get to January," Jackson added.

"We can't just go into the season and go 5-12, because then we're not going to be in the playoffs. Playoffs are on our mind, but at the same time, we have to win this game that's ahead of us."

"I'm ready to go. I've been going against my guys for weeks," Jackson said. "It's time to go against somebody else."

Jackson was the hero after emerging from the locker room to guide the Ravens to a breathtaking 47-42 win over the Browns on Monday.

Justin Tucker converted a 55-yard field goal with two seconds remaining after reigning MVP and star team-mate Jackson – who missed most of the final quarter having exited the field due to cramps – inspired the drive in the closing stages.

The Ravens (8-5) surrendered their lead during Jackson's absence, going from 34-20 ahead to 35-34 down before a nail-biting conclusion against the Browns, which saw the former replace backup QB Trace McSorley following a knee injury.

"It was like a scene from a movie," said Mayfield, who was 28-of-47 passing for 343 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while he also rushed for a TD.

"I hate that for Trace McSorley, praying that he's OK. But as soon as he went down, you could see Lamar trotting back onto the field, it was like, 'Geez'."

"He's a great player, you're gonna have to just try and contain him, you're never going to be able to stop guys like that," Mayfield added on Jackson.

It marked the first game in NFL history in which both teams rushed for four-plus touchdowns, per Stats Perform.

Baltimore's five rushing touchdowns and Cleveland's four combined for the equal most in a single game in league history, according to NFL Research. The only other two games with nine combined rushing touchdowns happened in 1922.

The Browns have scored 30 or more points in seven games this season, their most since 1968.

"We never lost our belief in the fact that we had a chance to win that game," Mayfield told reporters after the heartbreaking loss. "Even down two scores, we were continuing to fight, fight for each other…. But I can't turn the ball over and put us in position where they have easy points."

"We just have to build on the fact that this team fights," he continued. "I’m really proud of this team for fighting, and that's what I would take out of it. We just have to be better."

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski added: "We knew that going into it: You're not going to pitch a shutout versus Lamar Jackson.

"He's going to get his. Having said that, there's a bunch of plays I know we can do better. We have to look at those and make sure that we correct those mistakes."

Jackson missed his 17th straight practice Thursday and then posted on social media that his left knee "remains unstable," putting his availability for Sunday in serious doubt.

"Thank you everyone for your support and concerns regarding my injuries," Jackson posted to Twitter. "I want to give you all an update as I am in the recovery process. I’ve suffered a PCL grade 2 sprain on the borderline of a strain 3. There is still inflammation surrounding my knee and my knee remains unstable.

"I’m still in good spirits, as I continue with treatments on the road to recovery. I wish I could be out there with my guys more than anything but I can’t give 100% of myself to my guys and fans I’m still hopeful we still have a chance."

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has not officially ruled out Jackson returning Sunday, but he has not practiced with the team since December 2, and has not appeared in a game since a 10-9 win over the Denver Broncos on December 4.

With Jackson likely unavailable, Huntley would be in line to start, but he has been battling shoulder and wrist injuries that kept him sidelined for the regular-season finale at Cincinnati last weekend.

Huntley resumed throwing at practice Thursday and was officially listed as a limited participant. It was the first time since January 1 that he was seen throwing passes.

"He looked good," Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. "It’s day-to-day. He’s making progress. We take stock on it every day."

Rookie Anthony Brown started the final game of the regular season and was 19 of 44 for 286 yards with two interceptions in his only career start, a 27-16 loss to the Bengals.

Baltimore went 8-4 and averaged 23.1 points in games Jackson started this season, and were 2-3 while averaging 13 points in games without him.

"Obviously, Lamar is Lamar," Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen said. "You can’t replace that kind of guy, but I do still think that we have quarterbacks who can go out there and get the job done and play at a high level."

New Orleans could only muster six points until their first touchdown came with four minutes remaining in the last quarter, with the game already put to bed.

The Ravens did it by shutting down Alvin Kamara and the Saints' rushing attack, limiting the star running back to nine carries for 30 yards and three catches for an additional 32 yards.

In doing so, they forced quarterback Andy Dalton to beat them from the pocket, and he could not deliver. He ultimately finished with a respectable stat-line, completing 19 of 29 passes for 210 yards and one touchdown, but that masked his struggles.

Dalton was sacked four times, with two-and-a-half of those being credited to edge-rusher Justin Houston, and threw a fourth-quarter interception – also to Houston, off a deflection – when his side was only down 14 and still had a chance.

The Ravens struggled similarly throwing the ball, with Lamar Jackson only tallying 133 passing yards from 12 completions, but their ground attack was unstoppable.

Jackson himself carried the ball 11 times for 83 yards, and with starting running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards both missing through injury, Kenyan Drake stepped up for 93 yards and two touchdowns from 24 carries. It led to over 37 minutes of ball-control for the Ravens, with the Saints having just 22 minutes.

The Ravens are now alone atop the AFC North with a 6-3 record, while the Saints drop to 3-6, but remain just one win behind the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5).

The All-Pro quarterback, who does not turn 25 until January 7, accounted for all but 19 of Baltimore's 523 yards of total offence, completing 37 of 43 passes for a franchise-record 442 yards and four touchdowns and rushing for 62 more.

In doing so, Jackson became the first player in NFL history to post at least 400 yards passing, 50 yards rushing and four TD passes with no interceptions in a single game.

Jackson led four straight touchdown drives to erase a 19-point deficit against the Colts as he overtook Drew Bledsoe (33) to join Marino on 34 wins before turning 25.

"I'm up there with the guys – those legends," Jackson said. "I appreciate that. It's an honour to be up there with those guys, but I'm focused on winning."

Jackson's effort was described as "one of the greatest performances I have ever seen" by head coach John Harbaugh, the 2019 MVP hitting six straight passes on the drive in overtime.

Despite his side falling 22-3 behind with 3:11 left in the third quarter, Jackson insists he was always confident of fighting back to make it 4-1 for the season.

"To be honest, it wasn't a doubt in my mind," he said. "Our team, we hit that peak that we needed at the right time in the second half. We just knew it was one play at a time – that's all we kept saying in the huddle.

"I was just locked in. I was just calm, everything was moving slow. I was just taking it a play at a time."

Jackson is now fifth in the NFL in passing yards this season with 1,519 through five games, while his 241 rushing yards ranks him eighth.

But Monday's performance was not quite flawless, as he threw his helmet so far into the air after the overtime win that somebody else had to help retrieve it.

"I shouldn't have done that – for real," Jackson said. "I've got to have more restraint, but I was just excited. We had an overtime win in the league and stuff like that. It was pretty cool."

After months of negotiating and public posturing, the Ravens and Jackson agreed to a five-year contract extension on Thursday.

The Ravens' official Twitter account confirmed the news by posting a video of the 2019 NFL MVP celebrating the next five years in Baltimore.

Jackson's new deal makes him the highest-paid player in the league with a total contract value of $260million, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, reportedly including $185m in guarantees.

Announced just hours before the start of the 2023 NFL Draft, the contract ends a months-long negotiation process that at times was portrayed as tense and adversarial.

While the details of the contract have not been publicly confirmed, both sides reportedly used Jalen Hurts' new deal with the Philadelphia Eagles as a starting point.

After leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance, Hurts received a five-year extension worth up to $255m, with $179m in guaranteed money.

Jackson had reportedly been seeking a fully guaranteed contract – a demand that had, until this week, caused an impasse in negotiations.

On March 7, Baltimore placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback, allowing other teams an opportunity to sign Jackson to an offer sheet in exchange for two first-round draft picks.

Three weeks later, Jackson announced on Twitter he had requested a trade earlier this offseason.

Jackson is 45-16 as a starter in the regular season and was voted the 2019 MVP after leading the league with 36 touchdown passes and rushing for a quarterback-record 1,206 yards.

In 70 career games, Jackson has completed 63.7 per cent of his passes for 12,209 yards, 101 touchdowns and 38 interceptions. He has added 4,437 rushing yards and 24 scores on the ground.

In 2019, Jackson succeeded Mahomes as NFL MVP with both having won the award in their second season in the league.

Their similar trajectory as players and their presence as two of the premier quarterbacks as the league enters a new era at the position has seen 'Jackson or Mahomes' become a frequent source of debate.

Yet it is a discussion for which Baltimore Ravens signal-caller Jackson has little time.

Speaking on Bleacher Report's 'Take it There with Taylor Rooks', Jackson said of comparisons with Mahomes: "Yeah that's annoying. We play football.

"Two different teams. Ain't got nothing to do with each other. Like, we just play football. That's it."

Asked if there was any aspect of Mahomes' skill set he would like to possess, Jackson initially joked: "None. I ain't trying to be him. I'm my own player."

However, he then added: "To throw as far as him, I want that cannon. He got a cannon arm. I'd take that cannon."

Mahomes led the Chiefs to glory in Super Bowl LIV last season and was named MVP of the game after authoring a 31-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers. The Chiefs had trailed 20-10 with seven minutes left.

Jackson and the Ravens would have met Mahomes and the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game had Baltimore not suffered a shock 28-12 loss to the Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Round.

Mahomes has won both games he and Jackson have contested in the NFL. The Chiefs beat the Ravens 33-28 in Week 3 last season, having also defeated Baltimore 27-24 in Week 14 of the 2018 campaign.