Ravens second-year quarterback Lamar Jackson has become the NFL’s most exciting player.  Jackson is combining rushing quantity at the quarterback position at a level that we’ve never quite seen before — at least, not in the NFL.  Jackson is tied for 5th in the NFL with 46 rushing first downs, but the Ravens a hardly a one-man show.  Starting running back Mark Ingram is also one of the 12 players in the NFL with 40+ rushing first downs, and backup Gus Edwards is one of the 16 players in the NFL with at least 30+ rushing first downs.

Baltimore has amassed 129 rushing first downs already this year; the 2018 Ravens set the modern record with 153 first downs last season, and this year’s team will smash that mark.  The most dominant rushing team in history was the 1978 Patriots, who rushed for a record 3,165 yards and also picked up a record 181 first downs.  Both of those marks are in jeopardy, as the 2019 Ravens are on pace to finish with 3,369 rushing yards and 188 first downs.

How insanely good are the Ravens at picking up first downs? The graph below shows each team this season, and the number of passing first downs (X-Axis) and rushing first downs (Y-Axis) from each offense.

Of course, the Ravens are also very successful through the air, another trait they share with the ’78 Patriots. Baltimore has thrown a touchdown pass on a whopping 7.9% of passes,  and is one of 5 elite passing attacks averaging at least 7.9 ANY/A so far this year.  But here’s the most interesting stat: the Ravens are currently exceeding both 200 rushing yards per game *and* 200 passing yards per game.  That’s a double-dip that’s never been done before by any team in pro football history.  Take a look:

The table below shows the top 100 teams in terms of yardage per game, ranked by the lower of their yardage gained either on the ground or through the air.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!