HOUSTON — On a day when Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson didn’t feel like he was running at top speed — even though he was clocked at over 21 mph — the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player added another title: the all-time leading rushing quarterback.
In running away with a 31-2 Christmas Day victory over the Houston Texans, Jackson ran just enough to surpass Michael Vick for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history. With 87 yards Wednesday, Jackson now has 6,110 career rushing yards, which is one more yard than Vick’s total.
Jackson broke the record with a 6-yard scramble in the third quarter that set up his 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mark Andrews.
“It feels unreal, to be honest with you,” Jackson said. “I’m grateful because that’s a record that’s been there for a long time. Michael Vick is one of my favorite players. That’s just dope.”
Vick held the record for 13 years after he eclipsed Randall Cunningham for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in October 2011.
The most impressive part of Jackson breaking Vick’s mark is the speed in which he did it. Vick needed 143 games over 13 years to amass his total, but Jackson broke the record in just 102 games over seven seasons.
“That kind of speaks for itself,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “Sometimes, I just shake my head and say, ‘That was really a great play. That was a great play.’ I’ve seen a lot of great plays from Lamar Jackson. I told him I was proud of him. I’m not just proud of him just because he makes great plays. I’m proud of him for all the things that go into making great plays and also for all the things he’s overcome along the way.”
The Ravens (11-5) are one win away from repeating as AFC North champions after Jackson put the game away in the third quarter. With Baltimore up 17-2, Jackson rushed 48 yards to the end zone without being touched.
Jackson’s maximum speed on that run was 21.25 mph, the highest top speed of his career as a ball carrier. Jackson gave a quizzical look when told of the speed he clocked.
“For real?” Jackson replied. “I was jogging.”
Jackson overtook Vick in a season in which he has run the fewest amount of times. He even was criticized by his mother following a 24-19 home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 1 for not running more. Jackson’s average rushing attempts are 8.4 per game — the first season he has been below nine carries per game.
On Wednesday, he delivered a reminder of how he can beat teams with his legs. He totaled 87 yards on four carries, including the 48-yard touchdown run — the third-longest rush of his career.
Jackson has totaled four rushing scores of 40 yards or longer, which ties Kordell Stewart for the most by any 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.”
It was not a perfect day for Jackson. Earlier this week, he talked about watching Beyonce’s halftime show at NRG Stadium. But Jackson was nowhere to be found on the field when the 32-time Grammy winner performed.
“I was locked in,” Jackson said. “I was in here in the locker room preparing for the second half.”
