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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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Lamar Jackson has guided the Baltimore Ravens to a 2-1 record after a stunning victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Brazil.
In that game, he accurately threw for 186 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. In an impressive play, he completed a big pass to his teammate near midfield and well within field-goal kicker Tyler Loop's range, then called a timeout with a second remaining, helping the Ravens win 34-31.
Just two days after that huge performance in an international game, ESPN's Ben Solak wrote that he includes Jackson among his Most Valuable Player contenders.
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While Solak contends that the Jacksonville Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence is also an early MVP candidate, he has Jackson with him due to what he's had to work with in Baltimore so far this season.
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ESPN's Solak mentioned that the Ravens had their third center on the field in that win over Dallas, and that Baltimore's receiver depth has also been an early issue. However, Jackson is an "elite" quarterback able to make things work.
Solak and others highlighted Jackson's big play to help the Ravens score a go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter to tight end Matthew Hibner as a particularly impressive read and pass that only quarterbacks with Jackson's talent level can achieve.
And credit should go to Jackson for finding ways to make things work while playing under a new coach and offensive coordinator. The Ravens filled the void left after firing John Harbaugh by bringing in Jesse Minter as the new head coach.
Jackson's former offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, also left Baltimore and took the head coaching job in Cleveland. With that, Declan Doyle left Ben Johnson's Chicago Bears staff to become the Ravens' OC.
Ahead of the season, the two-time MVP raved about his team's new offense with all the things they could throw at opponents.
Despite Doyle bringing in that complex new offense, Jackson is making things work early in the season. He's tallied 745 yards and four touchdowns this season, with an 82.2 QBR, which is fourth-best in the NFL.
As of this writing, Jackson appears third in MVP odds at various sportsbooks, per Vegas Insider. He's right up there behind the Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen and the San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy, both of whom have their teams off to 3-0 starts.
Next up, Jackson and the Ravens host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 1 p.m. ET.
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