Houston — On a day when Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson didn’t feel like he was racing at full pace (despite being timed at more than 21 mph), the reigning NFL MVP added another title: all-time leading rushing quarterback.
In a 31-2 Christmas Day victory over the Houston Texans, Jackson ran just enough to surpass Michael Vick for the most rushing yards by an NFL quarterback. Jackson’s 87 yards on Wednesday bring his career rushing total to 6,110, one more than Vick.
Jackson shattered the record with a 6-yard scramble in the third quarter, which set up his 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mark Andrews.
“It feels unreal, to be honest,” Jackson admitted. “I’m grateful since the record has been around for a long time. Michael Vick is among my favorite athletes. That’s really awesome.”
Vick held the record for 13 years after passing Randall Cunningham for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in October 2011.
The quickness with which Jackson broke Vick’s record is what stands out most. Vick required 143 games over 13 years to reach his total, whereas Jackson smashed the record in 102 games over seven seasons.
“That kind of speaks for itself,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh explained. “Sometimes I just shake my head and say, ‘That was a pretty good play.
‘That was an excellent play. I’ve watched Lamar Jackson make a lot of great plays. I told him how pleased I was of him. I’m not simply proud of him because he makes excellent plays.
I’m proud of him for all of the work that goes into making great plays, as well as all of the challenges he’s faced along the road.”
The Ravens (11-5) are one win away from repeating as AFC North champs after Jackson sealed the victory in the third quarter. With Baltimore leading 17-2, Jackson ran 48 yards to the end zone without being touched.
Jackson’s top speed on that run was 21.25 mph, the fastest of his career as a ball carrier. When notified of his speed, Jackson offered a puzzled expression.
“For real?” Jackson responded. “I was jogging.”
Jackson passed Vick in a season in which he ran the fewest number of times. After a 24-19 home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on December 1, his mother chastised him for not running more. Jackson’s average rushing attempts per game are 8.4; this is the first season he has had fewer than nine carries per game.
On Wednesday, he demonstrated how he can dominate teams with his legs. He gained 87 yards on four carries, including a 48-yard touchdown run, the third-longest rush of his career.
Jackson has four rushing touchdowns of 40 yards or more, tying Kordell Stewart for the most by a quarterback since 1950.
“I’ve never seen someone run the ball like Lamar at quarterback — or honestly any other position,” Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley said.
“The effortless nature of the way he runs the ball and makes these defenders not look as fast as they are, so I’m impressed by everything he does every day.”
Jackson’s day was not great. Earlier this week, he mentioned seeing Beyoncé’s halftime concert at NRG Stadium. But Jackson was nowhere to be located on the field throughout the 32-time Grammy winner’s performance.
“I was locked in,” Jackson explained. “I was in here in the locker room preparing for the second half.”