MIAMI — Lamar Jackson’s stunning season not only earned him The Associated Press N.F.L. Most Valuable Player Award, but he won it unanimously.
The second-year quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens joins Tom Brady in receiving every vote for an M.V.P. award.
Jackson drew all 50 votes from a nationwide panel of media members who regularly cover the league. Baltimore’s All-Pro set an N.F.L. single-season rushing record for quarterbacks (1,206) and led an offense that compiled more yards on the ground (3,296) than any in a 16-game season. The Ravens won their final 12 games of the regular season to finish 14-2, the league’s best mark.
Jackson had a message for players who, like him, have been told they should change positions, and who have faced doubters.
“Make those people eat their words,” he said. “It feels good when you can make those people eat their words because they’re so negative. How are you going to wake up and be so negative about somebody who’s not negative toward you or don’t do anything wrong? Don’t worry about what they say. Do you.”
Brady achieved the feat after the 2010 season. And like Brady, Jackson’s special season did not include a championship after the Titans upset Baltimore in the Divisional Round.
“I’m still young,” Jackson said. “I’ve still got a lot of work to do. I’m not really trying to dwell on what I just did. If I win a Super Bowl, you’ll probably see a lot more emotion.”
The Ravens were big winners at the N.F.L. Honors on Saturday. John Harbaugh won coaching honors, and his offensive coordinator, Greg Roman, was named best assistant.
Tennessee’s Ryan Tannehill won the Comeback Player award by one vote over Jimmy Garoppolo, who will quarterback the 49ers in Sunday’s Super Bowl. New Orleans’ Michael Thomas took the top offensive player honor, while New England’s Stephon Gilmore grabbed the defensive player award.
Rookie honors went to 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa and Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, the top pick in last year’s draft.
Jaguars defensive lineman Calais Campbell won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which recognizes players for impacting their communities.
Thomas became only the second wide receiver to win Offensive Player of the Year. The other receiver to take the honor was the Hall of Famer Jerry Rice in 1987 and 1993.
While Rice holds virtually every significant N.F.L. receiving record, Thomas has one that made a huge difference with the voters. Thomas caught a league-record 149 passes for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns. He also played five games without starting quarterback Drew Brees, yet made 42 catches in those outings.
“It was just consistency and following our leader, Drew Brees. He’s been a tremendous example for everyone across the league,” Thomas said. “I don’t take that for granted. I take notes on how he prepares.”
Thomas added: “Honestly, it’s hard for me to even pat myself on the back without patting the people around me on the back, because they’ve helped me tremendously.”
Gilmore is the first cornerback in a decade to win Defensive Player of the Year.
Considered one of the game’s best cover cornerbacks, the All-Pro made his eighth pro season his best with a career-high six interceptions that tied for the N.F.L. lead. Gilmore was a key member of the league’s stingiest defense in 2019; New England allowed 225 points in winning an 11th straight A.F.C. East title.
“Each and every week, I feel like I’m going against the best receivers every game, and I was able to shut them down as much as I can,” Gilmore said. “That’s tough being on an island, tough playing a lot of man-to-man coverage each and every week, but I feel like I did that every week.”
For leading the Ravens to the N.F.L’.s best record, Harbaugh joined his brother Jim (2011) as a Coach of the Year winner.
“I joke with the players all the time, you know, we’re robbing the same train,” he said. “This is a blessing. This is a privilege to be part of this whole thing. You get a chance to coach players like Mark Ingram, Lamar Jackson, Ronnie Stanley — all the guys we have, it’s just something you can’t take for granted.”
Tannehill noted that being named Comeback Player of the Year is a mixed blessing.
“It’s an honor you never want to be up for, but it’s an honor to be recognized, and you had to overcome a lot of adversity,” he said. “To get this point, it’s special.”
Bosa, the second draft choice over all behind Murray, was such a force on the edge of the 49ers’ line that he even received votes for the All-Pro team at a very competitive position.
Bosa’s nine sacks were the fourth most for a 49ers rookie. He was third in the N.F.L. with 68 pressures, according to SportsInfo Solutions, trailing only the Saints’ Cameron Jordan and the Vikings’ Danielle Hunter, and his 16 tackles for a loss tied him for fifth in the league.
Murray joined other former No. 1 overall selections, like Earl Campbell and Cam Newton, as an offensive rookie winner. The fast, elusive and creative quarterback is the sixth such player; Newton was the most recent, in 2011, one year after Sam Bradford did it. The others were running backs Campbell (1978), Billy Sims (1980) and George Rogers (1981).
Murray started all 16 games, going 5-10-1 with 20 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. He ran for 544 yards and four more scores.
“I think everybody sets out with individual goals and I knew if I played well enough — that’s not obviously the goal — but it was to do my part on the field,” Murray said.
“Lead my guys to wins and try to play as best as I can while being in the position to do so, and I had a lot of help around me,” he continued.
Results were announced at N.F.L. Honors, the league’s annual awards show.
Source: Football - nytimes.com
