Ravens notes
More recognition for Jackson
Ravens QB the early leader in initial fan voting for Pro Bowl
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson leads initial fan voting for the 2020 Pro Bowl, the NFL announced Wednesday.
Jackson has collected 146,171 votes since the NFL opened voting Nov. 12, almost 30,000 more than the runner-up, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
In 10 games this season, Jackson has completed 66.3% of his passes for 2,258 yards and 19 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 788 yards, which ranks 10th in the NFL, and six touchdowns.
The Ravens (8-2) are riding a six-game winning streak, largely in part because of the play of Jackson,
As of Monday, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (+200), Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (+900), reigning MVP Mahomes (+1000) and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (+1500) rounded out the top five.
The Ravens also lead all NFL teams in total votes received. Along with Jackson, five additional Ravens lead their respective position groups in votes: fullback Patrick Ricard, offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr., guard Marshal Yanda, cornerback Marcus Peters and kicker Justin Tucker.
Fan votes count for one-third of votes collected, with player and coach votes also counting for one-third each. Fan voting ends Dec. 12, and during the final two weeks of the window, fans can submit their votes on Twitter.
Rosters will be announced on NFL Network’s “Pro Bowl Special” on Dec. 17.
The Pro Bowl takes place Jan. 26, 2020, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, one week before Super Bowl LIV in Miami.
Jackson already
rewarding bettors
Even if Jackson doesn’t win NFL MVP honors, one sportsbook has decided to reward bettors who thought he would.
With still six weeks left in the regular season,
In the summer, though, he was a long shot. PointsBet said in a release that at the beginning of the season, a $100 bet on Jackson to win MVP would’ve been worth a total payoff of $7,100. Now, with Jackson’s dominant play guiding the Ravens to a six-game winning streak, a $100 bet would net only $230.
“We’ve really enjoyed watching Lamar Jackson make the impossible look easy every Sunday,” PointsBet CEO Johnny Aitken said in a release. “Considering some of his recent performances and looking ahead at the Ravens’ remaining schedule, it’s pretty clear to us that Lamar is simply a freight train that won’t be stopped.
“He is steaming toward well-deserved NFL MVP honors as he racks up the yards, rewrites the record books and redefines the quarterback position,” Aitken continued. “Given that, we think it’s only fair to reward all of our clients who had the foresight to place their bets on the right long shot.”
PointsBet said that Jackson accounts for 13% of its MVP bet liability, or the amount it stands to lose on a certain outcome, behind only Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey. If a player other than Jackson is named MVP, PointsBet will pay out those bets as well.