Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is the 2023 MVP. He’s better at everything now.

In July, about a week before the start of Ravens training camp, coach John Harbaugh told Lamar Jackson that he thought the quarterback could be better.

It was better than Jackson’s win last year second NFL Most Valuable Player award. He’s better than any other point guard in the league. Better than other quarterbacks league history.

“The vision that we have together is that Lamar Jackson will be, be known and be recognized as the best quarterback in the history of the National Football League,” Harbaugh said in mid-July. “This is the vision. This will happen with Lamar’s work ethic and brilliant talent, with all of us joining this effort as a team, with God’s grace and God’s good will. This is how it will be. And I believe it like we’ve seen it before.”

Harbaugh’s grand vision came to life. Jackson isn’t just a prohibitive favorite ahead of Sunday’s AFC North matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers Repeat as NFL MVP. It’s also better than last year in almost every way. Weaknesses turned into strengths, and strengths turned into superpowers.

Harbaugh said Monday that Jackson is “committed to playing as well as he can in every aspect” and that his improvement in coordinator Todd Monken’s offense has made his play nearly bulletproof. Jackson is elite when under pressure and when not under pressure, elite in the shotgun and under center, elite shooting outside the numbers and inside the numbers.

“Everything is slowing down,” he said of his growth last month, and defenses have yet to catch up. The Ravens have the NFL’s best offense and no close second; The gap between them and the second-ranked Washington commanders in DVOA is FTN’s competitor-adjusted efficiency measureIt’s bigger than the gap between the Commanders and the 14th-seeded Philadelphia Eagles.

“Obviously we’re not perfect,” wide receiver Rashod Bateman said Wednesday. “We won some, we lost some. But I definitely think we showed the ability to beat anyone.”

Jackson’s adaptability is the Ravens’ skeleton key. His all-around improvement from last year has made him one of the NFL’s most productive passers in almost every scenario imaginable (2,669 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and two interceptions). Let’s take a look at how Jackson has improved against various throw types, various game situations and pressure, and how those gains have stacked up in recent NFL history.

Scopes

Jackson during his first six seasons in Baltimore He had difficulty coping with heavy pressure-filled gazes from time to time.. Even last year he languished against “Cover 0” (man-to-man with heavy pressure and no deep linebackers), going 13-for-27 for 90 yards, according to TruMedia.

This year, Jackson found the answers as he dominated the offense better and continued his harmony with the defenders for another year. for every defensive call. Among dozens of quarterbacks who have attempted at least 20 passes against a given pass in a season since 2020, Jackson is in the 83rd percentile in expected points added per pass attempt, against Cover 0, in the 89th percentile against Cover 1, against 92. . Cover 2 vs. 97th percentile, Cover 3 vs. 99th percentile, Cover 4 vs. 99th percentile, and Cover 6 vs. 100th percentile.

Last year, Jackson ranked above the 90th percentile based on just one look: Cover 2 (94th).

Shot types

Jackson can make any shot.

Need something quick? Ravens’ renewed screen game It’s one of the NFL’s best, and Jackson’s EPA per throw attempt of 2.5 seconds or less this season ranks as the highest for a ranked quarterback since 2020. He’s also in the 100th percentile on short throws (0 to 9 yards).

Need to wait for something to develop? That’s okay too. The elusive Jackson ranks in the 96th percentile for pass attempts that arrive at least four seconds after the snap and in the 62nd percentile for passes of at least 20 yards through the air.

Need something close to the sideline? Jackson has the arm strength and accuracy to help. While he’s in the 100 percentile in shooting outside the numbers, he remains as ruthless as ever in the midfield. (Yes, he is also in the 100th percentile in shooting between numbers.)

Game situations

It doesn’t matter where Jackson finds himself. He found ways to make the Ravens’ passing game work.

He ranks in the 100th percentile for shots made from inside the pocket, up from 48th last year among quarterbacks ranked since 2020. He ranks in the 99th percentile for shots inside the red zone, down from 60th last year.

Play-action remains a cheat code for Jackson (100th percentile), but he is now elite on dropbacks without run fakes (100th percentile).

The arrival of running back Derrick Henry also bolstered the Ravens’ under-middle passing attack, boosting Jackson’s EPA per attempt from the 80th percentile to the 93rd percentile.

Under pressure

Jackson, unsurprisingly, excels when he’s not under pressure or blitzed, ranking in the 100th percentile in both categories this season.

But Jackson also coped with the heat. He’s in the 99th percentile under pressure, a notable improvement from his 2023 target (75th percentile), and when the blitz is in the 99th percentile, an even more dramatic turnaround (38th percentile).

Jackson’s relieving of pressure contributed to his increased efficiency. Last year, the defense converted 18.2% of Jackson’s pressures into sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. Now they only convert 11.7%, a rate of 95 percent. Jackson’s overall sack rate this season is just 4.3%, a career low and one of the best marks in the league.