Lamar Jackson breaks Michael Vick's season QB rushing record
Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson just broke the NFL’s all-time season rushing record for a quarterback, set by Michael Vick back in 2006.
Jackson entered Thursday’s game against the New York Jets with 1,017 rushing yards — 22 behind Vick’s total of 1,039. Vick achieved his total with fewer attempts (but in more games) that season than Jackson had had in 2019.
Jackson — wearing white sleeves and a white glove — reached the 1,000-yard mark last week against the Buffalo Bills, joining Vick as the only other QB to reach quadruple digits on the ground in a single season.
Record breaker sets up Ravens TD
Then Jackson broke Vick’s all-time mark with a five-yard red-zone run in the first quarter against the Jets that set up a Mark Ingram touchdown run on the next play.
Vick’s mark was once thought to be unbreakable in a passing-heavy era where running quarterbacks sometimes have been asked to throw more and run less. But with the Ravens, Jackson has been given carte blanche to run and throw with a scheme that perfectly accentuates his skills.
And it’s a big reason why Jackson appears to be one of the runaway MVP favorites in December. With three games remaining, Jackson could even approach the 1,300-yard mark with a few more big performances with his legs and land somewhere in the league’s top 10 rushers this season.
Vick congratulates Jackson
Vick congratulated Jackson on the record in a Twitter video posted shortly after the Ravens quarterback passed him.
One legend to another.@MichaelVick congratulates @Ravens QB @Lj_era8 for breaking his single-season rushing record pic.twitter.com/vTrYqulStw
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 13, 2019
How far can Lamar go?
Vick achieved his record — breaking Bobby Douglass’ mark of 968, set in 1972 — with a mere 123 rushes in 16 games back in 2006. It took Jackson 154 carries to earn the season record, but he did so in the Ravens’ 14th game of this season.
Jackson still has some work to do to catch Vick’s career rushing total of 6,109 yards on the ground. Jackson is less than one-third of the way toward that mark. But through 30 NFL games (21 starts), Jackson is averaging close to 60 rush yards per game.
Which means at this rate, he could break the career QB rush mark somewhere around the middle of the 2024 season. Keeping up that pace would be fairly incredible. But for anyone who has watched Jackson perform this season ... are you doubting him?
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