At this point, if Lamar Jackson doesn’t win his third NFL MVP after this season. It would be declared a daylight robbery for sure. What Jackson is pulling off with the Ravens this year is simply astonishing. He isn’t just capturing the hearts of Baltimore. The reigning NFL MVP has the most decorated Olympian in history to cheer for him after breaking yet another NFL record.

Yes, you might have already guessed it. We are talking about a 23-time gold medal winner, Michael Phelps, who has conquered everything imaginable in swimming competitions at the grandest stage of all. Now, Jackson’s aura has spread so far that Phelps couldn’t control his excitement when the Ravens QB became the all-time rushing yards record holder. Phelps took to his Instagram and reposted a story from Bleacher Report where Jackson stood in front of every other QBs in the league with the caption, “Let’s go @new_era8.”

Now, Lamar Jackson was steamrolling past the Texans’ defense like they were some amateur team. One of those highlights came in the 3rd quarter when the two-time NFL MVP scored a 48-yard rushing TD. He even reached a top speed of 21.25 mph while doing so, “I was jogging. I didn’t have to do anything,” said Jackson. Besides his 48-yard run, Jackson finished his outing with 87 rushing yards to his name. And that meant he had now left behind former Falcons QB Michael Vick, who had 6,109 rushing yards to his name.

Well, after the Texans clash, Jackson has 6,110 rushing yards at the age of 27. With so many years ahead of him, who knows where Jackson will end his rushing yards record in the NFL? The way he is playing makes it difficult to see someone else replicate what he has achieved in such a short time.

Even Jackson was over the moon when he heard that he had eclipsed his childhood idol, Michael Vick. “Michael Vick, one of my favorite players. That’s just dope.” Now, Jackson wasn’t the only player who entered the NFL record books for his running on the ground. Even Derrick Henry’s 16th TD meant he had set a new Baltimore record for most rushing TDs in a season. While Jackson is busy earning praises for his ground-breaking productions, CJ Stroud is struggling to keep up with expectations.

CJ Stroud’s struggles continue in his sophomore year with Texans pre-playoffs slump

Remember last year when Stroud took the NFL by storm through winning Offensive Rookie of the Year? Coming into this season, the Texans had hoped he would replicate those productions. However, the former Ohio State product has failed to reach the heights that made him a rookie sensation last year. After 16 games, Stroud is only averaging 229.8 yards per game. It’s a massive fall-off compared to his last season’s 273.9 passing yards on average.

But you can’t really put all the blame on Stroud’s shoulders. He is missing two of his prized receiving crops in Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs due to injuries. Without them, Stroud had to rely upon WR John Metchie. Well, looking at his productions against the Ravens with five receptions for 48 yards. Metchie isn’t the answer to their offensive woes. Besides that, the Texans aren’t getting any help from their running department.

Their star running back, Joe Mixon, only managed to put up 26 rushing yards on nine carries. This week’s game vs Lamar Jackson and co was the third straight clash in which Mixon has produced less than 30 yards. Now, Stroud isn’t helping himself, either. His interceptions have blown off proportions this season. Last year, Stroud had just 5 interceptions to his name. And this year, it’s already 12, with one game still left to play in the regular season. This has led to him getting bashed for being a shadow of his former self this year, “CJ Stroud having the most head-scratching year 2 for a QB. Doesn’t even look like the same guy,” per an NFL analyst.

Well, Stroud himself has refused to defend himself after the blowout loss to the Ravens, “Terrible on my behalf. Probably one of my worst games of my whole career.” Stroud finished his Christmas outing with a career-low 13.2 QBR for completing just 17 of his 31 passes. He didn’t throw a single TD; instead, he threw an interception.

The only positive for him this season is that the Texans have managed to retain their AFC South title. But they need to step up before the playoffs if they want to go deeper into the postseason.