Lamar Jackson's MVP-caliber season left jaws agape across the globe. The dual-threat quarterback gashed defenses through air and land with a menagerie of explosive plays, often making professional athletes looks like middle-aged beer-leaguers with osteoarthritis.
Ahead of Saturday's playoff bout against Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel popped in the QB's season highlight reel for his players. The responses went as expected.
"He's from Mars," defensive lineman Jurrell Casey said of Jackson, via Jim Wyatt of the team's official website. "He's definitely an outer space guy. He's unbelievable. The stuff that he's doing so far this season, it's unreal."
Jackson broke Michael Vick's QB rushing record and did so despite sitting out the season finale.
"I would say he's Vick 2.0," safety Kevin Byard said. "I was talking to my dad about it last night. I think he is faster than Vick, and he's so dynamic. I grew up watching Vick and I wanted to wear No. 7 because of Vick. I think kids are growing up now wanting to be just like Lamar Jackson. He is so dynamic and a trailblazer in his own right. And facing him is a big challenge for us.
"I have been watching him all year making guys look silly out there, so we are going to have to do a good job containing this guy."
Jackson leads the league in offensive TDs (43) and earned a whopping eight games with three-plus passing touchdowns, most in the NFL.
Jackson led the NFL in pass TDs (36) and led all QBs in rushing yards (1,206) in 2019. The last player to accomplish that feat? Hall of Famer Steve Young, who won NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP for the 49ers in 1994.
Jackson became the only player with 3,000-plus pass yards and 1,000-plus rush yards in a single season in NFL history. He also became the only player in history to record a 100-plus passer rating and 1,000-plus rush yards in a single season in NFL history (minimum 50 pass attempts).
"He'll juke you," safety Kenny Vaccaro said of Jackson. "You just have to get multiple guys around him. Any time you try to do a kill shot you'll probably get juked off the screen ... and end up on The Checkdown on Instagram. You don't want to end up on the highlight reels or on 'C'Mon Man!' or something like that. So you have to be able to breakdown, be a sound tackler, keep your eyes up and keep moving. You just have to play hard, play fast and be physical."
The Titans defense will have to do what no team seemed to do this season: slow down Jackson. If not, the presumptive MVP's campaign will roll on, and theirs will end.
