Lamar Jackson, quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens, is the Colossus of Week 3

For the third consecutive day to start the 2022 regular season, a quarterback takes top honors in our weekly individual recognitions

Three out of three for the quarterbacks, who have now taken over all the editions of the Week 3 Colossus so far in the new season.

On this occasion, it is an old acquaintance of this section, but still a fairly young passer in the NFL.

Below, as always, the Honorable Mentions for the day, in alphabetical order.

Since the start of the regular season, we’ve seen a version of Jackson much more in line with 2019, when the Ravens quarterback became just the second player in league history to win Most Player of the Year award. Unanimously valuable, to the 2021 version when, plagued by injuries and surrounded by injuries, he was greatly reduced in his actions.

This Sunday, in the Ravens’ resounding victory over the Patriots, Jackson completed 18 of 29 passes for 2018 yards with four touchdown passes, against one interception. That performance, by itself, would have been enough for him to appear, at least, among the honorable mentions of Week 3.

On the ground, he ran the ball 11 times for 107 yards with a touchdown, another statistical line that would also have earned him to appear among the highlights of the day.

Considering there’s only one player who combined all of those numbers in the same game, it’s clear why Jackson had to be named Week 3’s best individual.

Jackson is now the first player in NFL history to record consecutive games of at least three touchdown passes and 100 rushing yards, according to data from the Elias Sports Bureau.

So far this season, and with a pending game of “monday night football“That shouldn’t threaten you, Jackson leads the NFL in touchdown passes, with 10; longest pass for the season (tied with Baker Mayfield), with 75 yards; he is second in Total QBR, at 79.5; and is third in average yards per pass attempt, at 8.51.

As if that were not enough, he is fourth in the league (tied with Christian McCaffrey) in rushing yards, with 243; and first in the entire NFL with a spectacular 9.35 yards per carry average.

The rushing numbers just serve as a reminder of what Jackson can do at any given moment with his legs, but there’s no question he’s among the best in the NFL for what he can do with his arm, coming into the 2022 regular season.

There are a handful of names already looming in the league’s MVP race for the current regular season, and Jackson’s is certainly among them.

honorable mentions

Mark Andrews, tight end, Ravens. Who better to join Jackson on this list than his preferred target? Andrews caught eight passes for 89 yards with two touchdowns in Baltimore’s win that puts them back in the AFC contenders, even though teams from other divisions are mentioned first.

Tyler Boyd, wide receiver, Cincinnati Bengals. The least talked about wide receiver in Cincinnati was the one who shone the most this Sunday against the Jets, with four receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown, leading the offensive explosion that was so expected from the Bengals.

Joe Burrow, quarterback, Bengals. Finally, they woke up in Cincy. Burrow led the charge with 23 of 36 completions for 275 yards and three touchdowns, dealing the ball to eight different receivers for the Bengals to win, finally, in the season, even if the Jets were the rival in turn.

Brandon Graham, defensive end, Philadelphia Eagles. It was nine sacks in all for the Eagles against the Commanders on Sunday in one of the most impressive team performances of the day, and Graham spearheaded 2.5 sacks, along with six tackles, two tackles for loss of yards, a pass defensed and five hits to the quarterback.

Trey Hendrickson, defensive end, Bengals. This Sunday, it was the Bengals who were dishing out sacks left and right, rather than allowing them. Hendrickson was the most active in this area, with 2.5 sacks against the Jets, along with four hits against the quarterback and four total tackles.

Khalil Herbert, running back, Chicago Bears. Luckily for the Bears that there was a ground attack, because things were poor in the air. Herbert shone with 20 carries for 157 yards with two touchdowns and two receptions for 12 yards, narrowly missing the spot of honor in this weekly piece.

Mack Hollins, wide receiver, Las Vegas Raiders. While the eyes were on bigger players, Hollins had a breakout game with eight receptions for 158 yards and a touchdown in a start that, unfortunately, couldn’t prevent Las Vegas from losing.

Jalen Hurts, quarterback, Eagles. Don’t look now, but Hurts is becoming a regular on our weekly highlights list. The Philly quarterback went 22-for-35 for 340 yards and three touchdowns, adding 20 yards on nine carries to drive an unresponsive Washington defense wild.

Trevor Lawrence, quarterback, Jacksonville Jaguars. This is the Lawrence the Jags projected when they picked him first overall in the draft two years ago. Against the Bolts, the quarterback completed 28 of 39 passes for 262 yards with three touchdowns, leading Jacksonville to a valuable win that will do wonders for the club’s confidence.

Christian McCaffrey, running back Carolina Panthers. How long had we waited for a match like this from McCaffrey? He did not find the diagonals, but the Carolina star carried the ball 25 times for 108 yards and caught two passes for 7 yards, in a game that invites us to think that the Panthers can raise their heads before everything is lost in their campaign.

Cordarrelle Patterson, running back, Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta got into one of what used to be, one of the most complicated stadiums in the NFL, to come out with a victory that fills the Falcons with optimism, with Patterson once again establishing himself as a pillar of the offense thanks to his 17 carries for 141 rushing yards and a touchdown, to go along with his 12 passing yards on the day.

James Robinson, running back, Jaguars. Little by little, Robinson is solidifying himself as the same reliable piece for the offense in Jacksonville that he was as a rookie two years ago. This Sunday, he rushed the ball 17 times for 100 yards, with one touchdown, his third of the year on the ground. To that he added three catches for 17 yards in one of the biggest bells of the day.

DeVonta Smith, wide receiver, Eagles. In Philly, there’s now talent to alternate star performances between two wide receivers. This Sunday, he took the turn of Smith, who had eight catches for 169 yards with a touchdown, in the blowout of Washington.