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Lions conquer rainy Lambeau: 'We're built to win'
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Weather conditions were chilly, windy and wet inside of Lambeau Field, but the Detroit Lions still walked away as winners on Sunday in their first outdoor game of the season.
The 24-14 victory over the Green Bay Packers gave the Lions three straight road wins over their NFC North rivals, the first such streak since Detroit won four straight at Lambeau Field from 1986 to 1991.
The Lions had played their first seven games of the season indoors, the only team to do so other than the 1998 New Orleans Saints in NFL history, according to Elias. But the change in environment in their eighth game on Sunday didn't end up mattering.
According to head coach Dan Campbell, the Lions are "built to win" under any conditions.
"I know this, I'm not shocked one bit that we came out here and played pretty good football out in the elements," Campbell said. "We're built for this. And it doesn't matter and just because we play indoors, it doesn't matter. We can play anywhere. We can play in the snow. We can play in the rain, play in the mud, that's just us. We're built to win."
Detroit has two more outdoor games remaining this regular season. During Week 16, the Lions will face the Bears at Chicago, then they will play at San Francisco in Week 17 against the 49ers. The team is confident that it can compete with any team in the league at this point.
"We're supposed to be the dome team who can't play outside. We're supposed to be the team that can only win one way, and I think we've shown a handful of times that we can win in multiple ways," said Lions QB Jared Goff, who went 18-for-22 with 145 passing yards and a touchdown. "We're chameleons, and whatever takes to win in whatever way, that's what we're going to do."
The Lions were dominant on both sides of the ball as the defense allowed its lone touchdown in the final 3:49 off a 2-yard run by Emanuel Wilson, and safety Kerby Joseph recorded the first pick-six of his NFL career with 32 seconds left before halftime to put the Lions up 17-3. Although Detroit's offense was outgained 411-261 by the Packers, the Lions still controlled the game with zero turnovers and a strong ground attack.
The running back duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 138 rushing yards and a touchdown to help Detroit improve to 7-1 for the first time since 1956.
"We know we're killers, man. Killers, kill. That's what we do," Lions cornerback Amik Robertson said. "We've got to keep on stacking them, though."
Despite Detroit's ability to win under new circumstances such as the bad weather this week, Campbell is still urging the team to continue to clean up other areas that it can improve on before it travels to face Houston in next week's "Sunday Night Football" game.
"There were a number of things we talked about: run game supremacy, we talked about explosives, as crazy as that sounds in that type of weather, but whoever could come up with the most explosives, field position and turnover ratio," Campbell said. "The fact that we took care of the football. We preached it all week. We worked it. Wet ball drills every day at practice outdoors.
"Our guys really did a great job. Goff took great care of the football, and it was the difference. It was a big difference."
Lions All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who entered the stadium before Sunday's game dressed in a black hoodie that read "Green Bay Sucks," caught seven passes for 56 yards and a touchdown and became the first wide receiver in at least 19 seasons to catch 30 consecutive targets. He has connected on 30 straight passes with Goff, who also became the first quarterback in NFL history to complete 80% of passes over a six-game span (min. 100 attempts), per ESPN Research.
Goff said this is "probably" the best stretch of his career as this victory seemingly put the Lions in the driver's seat in the NFC, but they're nowhere near satisfied.
"Each game is its own battle and its own journey, and I think we've gotten really good at flushing it away. Even if it's a loss," Goff said. "Flushing it away quickly and turning over to the next game.
"So now it will be this winning and then having to flush this one tomorrow and move on to Houston. Sunday night, at their place," he continued. "It's going to be rowdy. Our fourth road game out of the last five. We've kind of proven that we're built for it."
ST. LOUIS -- San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman won his fifth Gold Glove, and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was among 14 first-time winners of baseball's most famous fielding honor.
Cleveland second baseman Andrés Giménez and left fielder Steven Kwan won for the third consecutive year along with Arizona first baseman Christian Walker and Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ, Rawlings announced Sunday.
Giménez and Kwan are the first pair of teammates to win three straight awards since Adam Jones and J.J. Hardy did it for the Orioles from 2012 to 2014.
Rockies center fielder Brenton Doyle won for the second straight season.
It was Chapman's first Gold Glove in the National League. He won three with Oakland and one playing for Toronto.
St. Louis slugger Nolan Arenado, a 10-time Gold Glove winner, and Colorado's Ryan McMahon also were finalists at third.
"A lot of really good defensive third basemen are stacked in the National League," Chapman said in a video call. "I was able to come over here and win it, so I thought that was pretty cool and to get one in the American League and the National League now means a lot."
Six teams had two Gold Gloves winners each, with the Guardians joined by Colorado, Kansas City, Milwaukee, San Francisco and Seattle.
AL first-time winners in addition to Witt include Royals pitcher Seth Lugo, Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, Minnesota first baseman Carlos Santana, Houston third baseman Alex Bregman, Toronto center fielder Daulton Varsho, Boston right fielder Wilyer Abreu and Mariners utilityman Dylan Moore.
NL first-time winners included Atlanta pitcher Chris Sale, Giants catcher Patrick Bailey, Milwaukee second baseman Brice Turang and right fielder Sal Frelick, Colorado shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and Pittsburgh utilityman Jared Triolo.
"It's obviously an honor," Frelick said. "A little surreal, still. Obviously I think even cooler to do it with Brice."
Bregman earned a $50,000 bonus. Giménez, Lugo, Moore and Witt earned $50,000 and Santana $25,000.
There also were 14 first-time winners in 2022.
Voting was conducted among managers and up to six coaches from each team, who can't select players on their own club. Since 2013, voting has been factored with a Society for American Baseball Research defensive index, which comprises about 25% of the total.
The utility category is based on a SABR formula and additional defensive statistics.
ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Carlos Coronel made three consecutive penalty shootout saves and Daniel Edelman converted the winning goal in the bottom of the seventh frame as the New York Red Bulls stunned the Columbus Crew to sweep the best-of-three first-round series on Sunday in Harrison, New Jersey.
The score was tied 2-2 after regulation before the Red Bulls won on penalty kicks 5-4.
The defending MLS Cup champion Crew were the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and had the second-most points -- setting club records during the regular season for most goals (72) and points (66) -- in MLS behind Inter Miami.
New York, the No. 7 seed, won 1-0 in Columbus on Tuesday.
Columbus leads the all-time series across all competitions 40-37-14. However, the Red Bulls are 23-13-7 at home against the Crew, including 3-0-1 in the playoffs with all three wins coming at Red Bull Arena. New York is 4-1-1 in its last five playoff matches at home.
With the Crew season on the line, Christian Ramirez, who entered 10 minutes earlier, tied it 2-2 in the 96th minute with a header from a corner kick by Alex Matan.
The Red Bulls took a 2-1 lead in the 80th minute on Emil Forsberg's penalty kick. He was fouled by Rudy Camacho barely a yard inside the top of the penalty area to set up the kick, which he hammered to the bottom left corner.
Max Arfsten gave Columbus the lead in the 55th minute before Dante Vanzeir equaled nine minutes later.
Arfsten, who entered a minute earlier for DeJuan Jones, took a slick layoff from Cucho Hernandez and curled a shot past Coronel.
The Red Bulls on the transition notched the tying goal when Forsberg found Vanzeir in space for a strike from the left side of the box.
Columbus did everything but score in a dominant first half that had the Crew leading in shots 9-2.
But the Crew had to be wondering if it was just not their day in the 40th minute when within 30 seconds both Diego Rossi and Hernandez hit the left post on consecutive shots and a follow-up attempt by Steven Moreira was blocked by Sean Nealis.
Colonel stopped shootout attempts by Yevhen Cheberko, Arfsten and Matan in the last three of seven rounds. The Red Bulls' Noah Eile, Wikelman Carmona, Elias Manoel, Forsberg and Edelman found the net.
Columbus was seeking to join the Los Angeles Galaxy (2011-12), Houston Dynamo (2006-07) and D.C. United (1996-97) as repeat winners and keep their quest alive to tie D.C. for second place with four MLS Cups, one behind the Galaxy.
Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this story.
Man United show scars of Ten Hag era in draw against Chelsea
MANCHESTER, England -- Moisés Caicedo put the brakes on Manchester United's mini-revival under Ruud van Nistelrooy by earning a Premier League point for Chelsea with a stunning second-half volley in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Van Nistelrooy, who is in charge as interim head coach following last week's sacking of Erik ten Hag, inspired United to a 5-2 win against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup in midweek in his first game. And although Bruno Fernandes put United ahead with a 70th-minute penalty to give them hope of a crucial win, Caicedo cancelled out the goal with one of his own four minutes later.
Van Nistelrooy will remain in temporary charge for next week's games against PAOK Thessaloniki in the Europa League and Leicester again in the Premier League next Sunday. Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim will then arrive on Nov. 11 to become United's sixth permanent boss since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, but he will need to inspire a rapid turnaround to put United back on track this season. -- Mark Ogden
Ten Hag caution still scars United
Van Nistelrooy's natural attacking instincts have already made a difference to Manchester United during his two games in charge, but the scars of Ten Hag's cautious approach still run deep.
United's toothlessness is borne out by the fact that they have led for a total of 90 minutes in the Premier League this season -- and 55 of those came against struggling Southampton.
Only Fulham, Southampton, Brentford and now Chelsea have fallen behind against United this season. Incredibly, for a club of their resources, only Southampton and Crystal Palace have scored fewer than United's league goals.
The Red Devils' five-goal display in the midweek win against Leicester was an example of the team playing with more freedom under Van Nistelrooy, and they played with flair against Chelsea, too. But while United were often caught out when attacking under Ten Hag, they were also laboured and deliberate when playing out from the back, and Van Nistelrooy was quick to stamp out any repeat of that against Chelsea.
The former United striker clearly wants his players to look forward whenever they have the ball, but one crucial failing of Ten Hag's team was that the players too often took the safety-first option of playing the ball backwards. When defender Matthijs de Ligt did just that in the first half, opting to pass back to goalkeeper André Onana rather than playing it forward to Alejandro Garnacho, Van Nistelrooy berated the Netherlands international on the touchline and urged him to pass forward next time.
There were other occasions when Van Nistelrooy pointed forward, but when a team has been struggling as United have, players tend to take the easy option to reduce the risk of making a mistake. That is an issue that still affects this United side. -- Ogden
Caicedo showing why Chelsea coveted him
Had things been different, Caicedo could have been lining up in United red on Sunday rather than Chelsea blue. Instead, he scored a fantastic equaliser that earned Enzo Maresca's team a valuable point.
United tried to sign Caicedo from Independiente del Valle in Ecuador before his move to Brighton & Hove Albion. From there, he joined Chelsea in a deal worth 115 million in 2023.
The huge fee brought with it added pressure, but after a stop-start first season at Stamford Bridge he's finally starting to look like the player who was so effective at Brighton.
His goal against United was a stunner; a volley from the edge of the penalty area from a ball that was dropping out of the sky. It's a hard skill, but Caicedo executed it perfectly, and Onana had no chance -- it was almost past him before he had time to react.
Caicedo's overall performance earned him the man-of-the-match award. He walked off at full time having won the midfield battle against Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte alongside his midfield partner, Romeo Lavia.
Chelsea are still a work in progress under Maresca, but if Caicedo can find this level consistently he will help them take a big leap forward this season. -- Rob Dawson
Amorim most solve United's central quartet
Amorim has plenty waiting in his in-tray when he officially takes charge of Manchester United a week on Monday, but few are more crucial than the problem the current Sporting coach will have with his central defenders and midfielders.
The new manager is almost certain to quickly impose his favoured 3-4-3 formation on United, but he needs the personnel to make it work. When he watches this game back, he will be alarmed by the shortcomings in defence and midfield.
The central quartet of defenders De Ligt and Lisandro Martínez, and midfielders Casemiro and Ugarte, are enough to give Amorim nightmares.
De Ligt is too slow and reckless to impress Amorim, and the former Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich defender was caught out too often against Nicolas Jackson.
Martínez, meanwhile, will alarm Amorim with his decision-making and unhealthy habit of turning a routine situation into a dangerous one. For some reason, Martínez takes way too many chances with over-zealous challenges, and he was fortunate not to give away a penalty for a first-half shove and foul on Levi Colwill.
Martínez was booked for a stoppage-time foul on Cole Palmer that could have been a red. The knee-high challenge was reviewed by VAR but Martínez escaped further punishment. That kind of rash challenge happens too often with the Argentina defender, and at some point, he and United will pay a heavy price.
Ugarte is similarly unreliable in midfield and he was substituted late in game when, after a series of fouls following a booking, looked like being sent off for persistent offending. The summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain is struggling to adjust to the pace of the Premier League, just as Casemiro has always found difficult since his 2022 arrival from Real Madrid.
Four expensive signings in key areas and Amorim can't rely on any of them. -- Ogden
Palmer's Mancunian roots
Palmer had a quiet game at Old Trafford, but there are plenty at United who remain hopeful he might grace the stadium on a more regular basis in the future.
Janusz Michallik criticises the performances of Chelsea's biggest names after they fail to fire in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United.
He came through Manchester City's academy, but he's a boyhood United fan. He also regularly returns to see family and friends in Manchester since his move to London 18 months ago.
It won't be easy to prise Palmer away from Chelsea, who have the 22-year-old England star under a mammoth contract until 2033. That hasn't stopped some United recruitment staff believing there's a chance he could one day end up at the club, though.
Being young and English, Palmer is exactly the type of player that United sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox are looking to attract to spearhead a new era under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
United fans were quick to remind Palmer of his City past, particularly when one tame pass rolled under his boot and out of play in the first half. If he were to arrive at United and have the impact he's already had at Chelsea, all those years at the Etihad Stadium would be quickly forgotten. -- Dawson
Where does Enzo fit in Chelsea midfield?
Enzo Fernández started this season as Chelsea captain having been controversially handed the armband by Maresca despite being accused of "unhibited racism" by teammate Wesley Fofana for singing a derogatory song while on international duty with Argentina. The 105m signing is now out of the team and wondering when he will make his next Premier League start after being named among the substitutes again by Maresca at Old Trafford.
Fernández has been left out of the team for the last three league games by Maresca, with Caicedo and Lavia being chosen instead to play at the heart of midfield. That pairing is showing signs of a positive blend in midfield, and Fernández will struggle to regain his place.
He made a brief appearance from the bench in the closing stages, but Chelsea are now starting to look more settled under Maresca, and Fernández must now find a way to fight back into the team.
When he signed from Benfica in January 2023, Fernández was regarded as a major capture by Chelsea, but he has failed to live up to the billing. Now he faces a real battle on his hands to prove he is worth a starting spot. -- Ogden
Van Nistelrooy doing job prospects no harm
Van Nistelrooy isn't getting the top job at Old Trafford, but the Dutchman is improving his chances of getting another managerial role elsewhere.
The 48-year-old was looking for a No.1 job in the summer and spoke to Burnley before United came calling with an offer to become Ten Hag's assistant. Van Nistelrooy said at the time the only assistant job he would accept was back at Old Trafford, where he had such an impressive playing career between 2001 and 2006.
His immediate future once Amorim comes in is up in the air. He is still under contract, but Amorim has already made it clear he will bring his own coaches with him from Sporting. If there's no role for Van Nistelrooy in Amorim's staff, his caretaker role at United should open other doors.
He started the job with a thumping 5-2 win over Leicester on Wednesday and came away from a testing league game against Chelsea with a creditable draw. United's first 30 minutes were good and a step up from what we saw in Ten Hag's final few weeks.
Those performances won't have gone unnoticed by clubs in the Premier League and Championship who may be looking for a new manager in the new year. -- Dawson
Maye dazzles with late TD, laments 'dumb' INT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye delivered a dazzling play to send Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans into overtime with no time remaining in regulation, but he lamented throwing deep on an ill-advised interception that sealed a 20-17 road loss at Nissan Stadium.
The dramatic ups and downs sparked feelings of promise and disappointment from Patriots players and coaches as they dropped to 2-7.
"The guy's special, man. The way he competes, the way he plays, the way he continues to fight," veteran tight end Hunter Henry said of Maye, the No. 3 pick in the draft. "I'm proud of his fight. There is a lot to learn and we're going to continue to build."
Maye capped off an 11-play, 50-yard touchdown drive at the end of regulation with a play in which he held the ball for 11.82 seconds as he zigzagged through the pocket waiting for a receiver to uncover. He then lofted a 5-yard pass while falling to the ground to running back Rhamondre Stevenson in the end zone with no time left on the clock.
Since NFL Next Gen Stats tracking began in 2016, Maye's effort is the second-longest time to throw on any touchdown pass (regular season or playoffs) behind only Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels' Hail Mary in Week 8 to defeat the Chicago Bears (12.70 seconds).
"That's Drake. Nobody was surprised. Drake does stuff like that all the time," cornerback Christian Gonzalez said. "He fought and did all he could."
Maye said he was trying to keep the play alive and credited Stevenson for his receiver-like effort before adding: "But we ended up coming short, so that play really doesn't matter at this point."
A significant reason was Maye's final decision of overtime. The Titans had gone ahead 20-17 after kicking a field goal, and the Patriots took over at their own 30 with 2:32 remaining, with Maye's 11-yard scramble on second down advancing the ball to the 41.
On first-and-10, Maye attempted a deep ball over the middle to receiver Kayshon Boutte that hung up in the air and was intercepted by safety Amani Hooker.
"We were throwing into the wind and I have to put more on it. Just a dumb decision. Something you'd like to have back," he said. "Especially in that situation -- we could at least tie it up. Sometimes the best play is to throw it away."
Maye, who was cleared from concussion protocol on Saturday, was also intercepted early in the second quarter and strip-sacked in the fourth quarter on a play that gave the Titans a short field and led to a touchdown.
He finished 29-of-41 for 206 yards, while adding 95 rushing yards on eight scrambles. The 95 rushing yards were the second most by a Patriots quarterback since 1976 behind only Steve Grogan (103).
"If they're dropping out guys and there are some rush lanes up front, I'm going to make them pay. That's my mindset," Maye said.
Patriots coach Jerod Mayo credited Maye's mental toughness and ability to make plays via the run, before noting how the game ended.
"He's a guy out there trying to make a play. I think sometimes as well as he has played, we forget how young he is," Mayo said of the 22-year-old Maye. "He's going to continue to develop, and he'll be a good quarterback in this league. We'll all learn from this, myself included."
Warriors upgrade Curry (ankle) to questionable
WASHINGTON -- Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has been upgraded to questionable and could make his return to the court Monday against the Washington Wizards.
Curry has missed the past three games with a peroneal strain in his left ankle. He got a workout in on Sunday night during the team's optional light workout at Georgetown University.
"Looks good," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said while Curry was still on the court. "But it's all about how the ankle feels after the workout tomorrow. So, we'll see."
Curry participated in segments of Friday's practice in Houston but did not do any 5-on-5 work, Kerr said.
The Warriors have won three straight since Curry injured his ankle in a loss to the Clippers on Oct. 27. After Golden State plays at Washington, the Warriors will visit the Boston Celtics on Wednesday in a rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals.
Gallo to hit free agency after Nats decline option
WASHINGTON -- Joey Gallo's $8 million mutual option was declined by the Washington Nationals on Sunday, making the first baseman/outfielder a free agent.
Gallo receives a $2.5 million buyout as part of the deal he agreed to in January that called for a $2.5 million salary this year.
Gallo, who turns 31 on Nov. 19, hit .161 with 10 homers, 27 RBIs and 102 strikeouts in 223 at-bats.
A two-time All-Star, Gallo has a .194 career average with 208 homers, 453 RBIs and 1,292 strikeouts in 2,869 at-bats in 10 major league seasons with Texas (2015-21), the New York Yankees (2021-22), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2022), Minnesota (2023) and the Nationals.
The Kansas City Current scored three times in the first half to set a record for the most regular-season goals by a team in NWSL history (57) in a 3-1 win against the host Chicago Red Stars on Sunday in Bridgeview, Illinois.
The Current (16-3-7, 55 points) finished the season on a 6-0-2 run, including four straight wins. They finished fourth in the NWSL table -- five points behind the Orlando Pride in first -- ahead of the start of the playoffs next weekend.
The loss for the Red Stars (10-14-2, 32 points), who dropped four of their final five matches, means they will face the top-seeded Pride in the postseason.
Kansas City dominated the first half, finishing with an 11-2 advantage in shot attempts and 6-0 in shots on goal.
Michelle Cooper gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute. Nichelle Prince sent a short pass into the box. Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher came off her line to try to snare it, but Cooper was first to it and fired a strike from above the goal area into the right side of the net.
It was the Current's 55th goal of the season, which broke the record of 54 previously held by the North Carolina Courage.
They added to it in the 26th minute. Debinha collected a short feed from Vanessa DiBernardo at the top of the 6-yard box and sent it past Naeher's outstretched arm into the far side.
Prince extended it to 3-0 in the 33rd minute. Chicago's Cari Roccaro, near the spot, blocked a Kansas City shot attempt and Prince was there to take the loose ball and beat Naeher, who couldn't get over in time.
The Current's Temwa Chawinga did not get on the scoresheet against the Red Stars, but she did her part over the course of the season to help Kansas City set the new record, scoring 20 times in the 2024 campaign -- also a league record.
Ally Schlegel broke the shutout in the 52nd minute when she took a pass from Shea Groom and battled through a pair of defenders to send it past goalkeeper Almuth Schult, who had come off her line, cutting it to 3-1.
Kansas City was locked into the No. 4 playoff seed entering the day and will face the No. 5 North Carolina Courage in the first round.
Information from Field Level Media was used in this story.
Rams receiver Nacua ejected for throwing punch
SEATTLE -- Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua was ejected for throwing a punch in the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks.
After quarterback Matthew Stafford's pass intended for Nacua was intercepted by cornerback Riq Woolen, Nacua got into a scuffle with linebacker Tyrel Dodson. Nacua threw a punch at Dodson and was ejected from the game.
Nacua, who was active Sunday after an injury scare during practice Thursday, had one catch for 11 yards before the ejection. He had played 26 of 30 offensive snaps for the Rams.
Nacua missed five games this season on injured reserve with a knee injury. He returned from IR in Week 8.
The Seahawks scored after the turnover and 15-yard penalty on Nacua to take a 13-3 lead into halftime.
'Lamarvelous' leads Ravens rout with perfect QBR
BALTIMORE -- Practice makes perfect -- except if you're Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Despite practicing just once this past week, Jackson was sharp as he's ever been, recording a perfect 158.3 passer rating in Sunday's 41-10 rout of the Denver Broncos. This marked Jackson's fourth career game with a perfect passer rating, which is tied with Ben Roethlisberger and Peyton Manning for the most in NFL history, according to ESPN Research.
"I feel like it doesn't matter if it's one day or half a day [of practice], he's going to be ready," Ravens running back Derrick Henry said.
Jackson did not practice Wednesday and Thursday because he was resting back and knee injuries. He returned Friday to participate in his only practice of the week.
No one could tell Jackson had limited practice time on Sunday, when he ripped the NFL's No. 3 defense. He completed 16-of-19 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns.
"I just knew what the assignment was," Jackson said. "I definitely studied those guys. Getting with [quarterbacks] Coach Tee [Martin] and just putting in extra work, just because I wasn't out there. [I was] just watching practice and studying film on those guys -- that pretty much helped."
Winners of six of their past seven games, the Ravens (6-3) moved within a half game of the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) on another efficient performance by Jackson. This was Jackson's sixth career game with as many touchdown passes (three) as incompletions, which matches Peyton Manning and Drew Brees for the most in NFL history.
"It's like your ideal point guard in a basketball situation -- somebody that sees people, sees their strengths, sees ways to get them won," Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor said. "He's a special player and I think we all know that. He approaches the game a certain way to be the best version of him every time he steps on the field."
This was the first time Jackson had missed any practice time in the regular season this year. When asked after the game if Jackson would get as many rest days as he wanted going forward, Ravens coach John Harbaugh smiled.
Harbaugh said he could tell how sharp Jackson was early in the game. Jackson completed his first four passes and finished the first half by connecting on 11 of his first 12 throws, including two touchdown passes to Zay Flowers of seven and 53 yards.
"I believe I mentioned it to one of the guys on the [headset] after the second or third series, 'Lamar is one fire. He's on fire throwing the ball,'" Harbaugh said.
Jackson didn't seem at full strength when scrambling, running for four yards on three carries. It was his fewest rushing attempts since December 2022, when he left a game against the Broncos in the first quarter with what became a season-ending knee injury.
Jackson's big plays all came with his arm. He was 5-of-5 for 157 yards and a touchdown on throws that traveled at least 20 yards in the air, which are the most such completions in his career.
"He's dangerous with his arm, and I think he showed that," Henry said. "If you want to take away him running the ball, [he'll] go over your head and throw it. If he has to run it, he'll do that as well. Hats off to him. He's an engine that makes this thing go -- 'MV3.'"
With a strong supporting cast, Jackson led the Ravens to seven straight scoring drives as Baltimore put up 40 or more points for the third time in five weeks. On the ground, Henry ran for 106 yards and scored two touchdowns, becoming the 10th player in NFL history to reach 100 career rushing touchdowns. In the passing attack, Flowers became the first Ravens player to total 100 yards receiving and two touchdown catches in the same game since Marquise Brown in 2019.
Now, midway through the season, Jackson is back to being the favorite for NFL MVP. According to ESPN BET, Jackson's odds improved to +225, which moves him past Josh Allen (+360).
Flowers summed up Jackson's performance with a one-word response: "Lamarvelous."