BALTIMORE — When Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson runs out of the tunnel or makes a big play, chants of “MVP” fill M&T Bank Stadium, just like when he won the award in 2019 and 2023.

But unlike those years, Jackson is not the overwhelming favorite to win the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award heading into the final game of the regular season. In a much-discussed race, he has the second-best odds behind Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, according to ESPN BET.

Saturday’s finale against the Cleveland Browns (4:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) represents Jackson’s last chance to show why he should receive his third MVP. As he has done so many times before evading a rushing defender before throwing a touchdown pass, Jackson has made a career out of beating the odds.

“To me, he’s our MVP, (and) he’s our guy,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “But you know what? We really don’t think about that. I haven’t heard anyone talk about it. I haven’t heard Lamar talk about it. We’re just trying to win the next game.”

I’m no math genius, but one guy seems to be the leader in every category except QB sneaks https://t.co/ilrObZXQAc

— Charlie Kolar (@charliekolar_) December 30, 2024

Allen and the Bills (13-3) have secured the No. 2 seed heading into Week 18, and with a win over the Browns (3-13), Baltimore (11-5) can win the AFC North and clinch the conference Place No. 3 and host a wildcard game. Jackson can also put the finishing touches to one of the most remarkable regular seasons ever for a quarterback, which included passing Michael Vick as the NFL’s all-time leading rushing quarterback on Christmas Day.

Jackson’s best statistical season of his seven-year career includes No. 1 in the NFL in four different categories: QBR (78.0), yards per pass attempt (8.9), touchdown pass percentage (8.8%) and passing touchdown to-interception ratio (9.8).

Here are some of the unprecedented feats Jackson can still accomplish:

– With 3,955 passing yards, Jackson needs 45 yards to become the first player in NFL history with over 4,000 passing yards and 800 rushing yards in a single season.

– With one more touchdown pass (39) and no interceptions, Jackson has the fewest interceptions (four) by a player who has thrown 40 or more touchdown passes in a season.

– With a passer rating of 121.6, Jackson could finish with the best single-season passer rating in NFL history, set by New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers in 2011 (122.5 rating).

“This is the MVP of the National Football League once again and it is the best version of the MVP,” Ravens quarterbacks coach Tee Martin said. “And instead of trying to trash him or say voter fatigue or whatever people want to call it, we need to honor the growth and take note of it. Because what we are all witnessing is the growth of a player who is not even 30 years old. And that is amazing to me.

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On the way to the At the Christmas game against the Ravens, Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said that Jackson is “definitely the best player I’ve seen this year.”

“Speaking of MVP? “He’s definitely the MVP in my eyes, not just because of what he does in terms of the game, but also in terms of his throwing, his accuracy and his decision-making,” Ryans said.

Ryans was able to watch Jackson up close during the Texans’ 31-2 loss to the Ravens. In the second quarter, Jackson rolled to his right before outsmarting four-time Pro Bowl defender Danielle Hunter down the sideline. Before the throw, Jackson fought around and secured 8.4 seconds, his second-longest time for a touchdown this season.

Perhaps even more impressive was how Jackson turned and threw his hands up in celebration before the pass reached tight end Isaiah Likely for a 9-yard touchdown.

CHRISTMAS MAGIC BY LAMAR. #NFLonNetflix#BALvsHOU To @Netflix pic.twitter.com/vApzXuZZoh

– NFL (@NFL) December 25, 2024

“I see Lamar every day (and) the things he can do and then carry that over to the game,” Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum said. “He’s just a special player. He’s extremely fun to play with – exactly what he can do – and I don’t think there’s anyone more deserving of this (MVP) award than Lamar Jackson.”

Jackson would join quarterbacks Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Johnny Unitas, Brett Favre and Tom Brady, as well as running back Jim Brown, to become the seventh player to win the NFL MVP title three times since the first award in 1957. When the MVP is revealed on February 6, Jackson, at 28, would be the youngest person to win the award three times.

“If it happens, it happens, and that would be nonsense,” Jackson said. “I don’t really focus on that. However, that was never my goal. Even (with) first or second (winning MVP), it was never my goal. I always want to finish with the championship, but what I did fell short.”

When Jackson has stayed healthy, his MVP resume is exceptional. He has started and finished three previous seasons – 2019, 2020 and 2023 – and was named MVP in two of them.

Jackson has tried to distance himself from social media conversations about MVP.

“You can talk about it all you want, but you want to tag me to seem like clickbait,” Jackson said. “Because sometimes I’ll say something back like, ‘That was stupid.’ It is what it is. I don’t care about the talk (and conversations) I’m trying to win.

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JACKSON’S IMPROVEMENT AS A passer is the core of his MVP case. He’s on the verge of his first 4,000-yard passing season and his first 40-touchdown passing year.

But it was also a year in which he became the most productive running quarterback in NFL history.

No one was less surprised than Vick when Jackson broke his 13-year scoring record against the Texans. In 2018, after watching Jackson in two starts, Vick told ESPN that he believed Jackson had the best chance to surpass him.

Jackson passed Vick with his 6,110. Rushing yardage in 102 games – 41 fewer than Vick needed to reach his total. Vick acknowledged that Jackson broke the record on Fox’s pregame show, saying, “I wouldn’t say it didn’t hurt a little bit, but he deserved it.”

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson, who ranks fourth on the career quarterback rushing list, was asked if that record makes Jackson the best dual-threat QB of all time.

“I mean, that’s a pretty good question,” Wilson said. “I think he’s definitely one of them. When you think of greats like Michael Vick, he was the one who just lit up an entire stadium. But I think guys like Lamar (and) Michael Vick, those guys are unique individuals in what they can do. I certainly can’t disagree with that.

John Harbaugh congratulates Lamar on breaking Michael Vick’s record for most rushing yards by a QB in NFL history ❤️ pic.twitter.com/y5SHqpLbVk

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 26, 2024

Other than Jackson, Wilson is the only active quarterback to rush for more than 5,000 yards with 5,446. Allen is third among active quarterbacks with 4,142 receiving yards.

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who has coached against Vick and Jackson, believes a quarterback will eventually overtake Jackson on the rushing list.

“Quarterbacks who can throw and read in coverage, accuracy and all that are at a premium, but if someone can move, that’s additional,” Zimmer said. “It’s a little bit like – this is really old school – but a variation on the wishbone type of what they’re doing now with the quarterback runs, but they can throw the ball a lot better. Yes, I’m sure. “Someone will come along and be like those two guys, but they’re rare athletes.”

Given the way Jackson was able to run in his seventh season, it wouldn’t be shocking if he added 3,000 or 4,000 rushing yards before the end of his career.

But Jackson doesn’t think he’ll be the league’s No. 1 rushing quarterback forever.

“If it breaks, hats off to whoever does it, because records are made to be broken,” Jackson said. “It’s nothing to be angry about. I think it’s just another unique type of generational talent when it happens.”

NFL Nation reporters Todd Archer and Brooke Pryor contributed to this report.