Lamar Jackson won his second NFL MVP Award last season. He’s been even better this season. Surprisingly much better.

We’ve seen split MVPs before and this would probably be the most fitting end to the MVP race between Jackson and Josh Allen. Allen was great for the Buffalo Bills and did everything for an offense that won the AFC East. But Jackson can point to plenty of stats — including a passer rating that challenges the NFL’s all-time single-season record — and say he was better than Allen and better than his own first two MVP seasons, too.

Jackson’s brilliance was on display again Wednesday. The Ravens took a step toward winning the AFC North title by dominating the Houston Texans 31-2. It wasn’t Jackson carrying the team on his back, which we’ve seen many times in his career, but he didn’t do anything to hurt his MVP case. Jackson had two passing touchdowns and another rushing. After this performance, Jackson’s passer rating sits at 121.6, not far from Aaron Rodgers’ NFL record of 122.5. Jackson also broke Michael Vick’s record for rushing yards by a quarterback, and he will break the record considering he is only 27 years old.

The MVP narrative and betting odds have been in Allen’s favor in recent weeks. And if Allen wins, he deserves it. A few years ago, Joel Embiid wouldn’t have quite been the NBA MVP because voters were tired of giving it to Nikola Jokic every year. But perhaps Jackson voter fatigue also plays a role. Even if Allen has a good case, there is no good reason to deny Jackson his third MVP. It will be a difficult vote.

Ravens start blowout early

Jackson has help like never before in his Ravens career. Derrick Henry makes sure Jackson isn’t alone in Baltimore’s offense.

Henry immediately set the tone in Houston. Henry had 86 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter alone. Every time he touched the ball, the Texans’ defense seemed to open up to let him get through to the secondary. Henry has been excellent for the Ravens all season and is one of the main reasons why they could be very dangerous in the playoffs.

The Ravens gave away two points on a safety when Henry was tackled in the end zone, but they controlled the rest of the half. Jackson had a drive where he escaped the rush to hit tight end Mark Andrews for a 67-yard gain, then finished the drive with another magic trick, moving for what seemed like a minute to avoid the pass rush, before he found Isaiah Likely in the end zone for the touchdown. Jackson only completed six passes in the first half, partly because the Ravens had no problems and Henry ran so well, but he had 147 yards on those six passes.

The Ravens led 17-2 at halftime, the first 17-2 halftime score in NFL history, according to the Netflix broadcast. Jackson said he would skip the Ravens’ halftime to see Beyoncé’s halftime performance, but remained in the locker room. He probably could have gone out and listened to at least a few songs. It’s not like the Ravens have much to worry about. Especially after Jackson had a 48-yard touchdown run to set up the score in the second half.

Jackson makes his MVP case

Jackson is the best running quarterback the NFL has ever seen, and he can prove it. Jackson is also just one game away from becoming the fourth quarterback to post a 120 passer rating in a season. It will be very difficult to deny an MVP award to a player with this unimaginable combination of skills.

Allen, of course, is a similar dual threat. He has 26 touchdown passes to just six interceptions, with 514 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. He has elevated his play even though the Bills traded his No. 1 receiver, Stefon Diggs, in the offseason.

Both quarterbacks are similar in that they can pass or run at a dominant level. For a while it seemed as if one of Allen’s advantages in the eyes of voters was that he had won a division title and Jackson had not, but the Ravens have stormed back and are the new favorites to win the AFC North. The Ravens will win the division with a win next week or a Steelers loss.

Statistically, Jackson leads Allen in rushing yards, passing yards, passer rating and passing touchdowns. Allen leads in rushing touchdowns, and some advanced stats like EPA (expected points added) per game favor Allen. Jackson probably has more help. Allen’s team has the better record. It’s one of the most interesting MVP debates in a long time.

The truth is that Jackson’s legacy changes somewhat with a third MVP, but a Super Bowl would add much more to it. The Ravens have suffered some bad losses this season. But in recent weeks they’ve seemed more and more like a contender. Taking out the Texans on Christmas should be a message to the rest of the AFC and perhaps to MVP voters as well.