Baltimore QB ‘MV3’ Jackson, Detroit Lions Highlight Week 10 Prime Time
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson will continue his run toward a second consecutive NFL MVP award when the Ravens return to prime time to face Cincinnati on Thursday night.
Jackson has accounted for 22 touchdowns — 20 passing, two rushing — and leads the league with a 120.7 passer rating. His stellar start has earned him a new nickname.
"MV3 is what we call it," said Ravens running back Derrick Henry, another top MVP candidate, said after the Ravens' 41-10 victory over Denver last Sunday.
"He deserves it all, man."
With a repeat, Jackson would join Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks to win two consecutive MVPs. Rodgers is the most recent in 2021-22.
Manning won two in a row twice, in 2003-24 and again in 2008-09 with the Indianapolis Colts, and is a five-time winner. Favre is the only quarterback to win three straight, with Green Bay in 1995-97.
Tom Brady and Johnny Unitas are the only other quarterbacks to have won three.
The Detroit Lions, 7-1 for the first time since 1956, have the best record in the NFC entering a Sunday night game at the Houston Texans. The Lions have won six in a row and have a plus-110 point differential. Houston leads the AFC South by two games.
Monday night opponents Miami and the Los Angeles Rams have been hampered by injury issues. Dolphins' quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missed four games because of a concussion, and top Rams' receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua have played only seven games between them.
THURSDAY NIGHTCincinnati Bengals (4-5) at Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
How to watch: Prime Video, 8:15 pm ET
Key matchup: Henry vs Bengals D
Early line: Ravens -6.5
Henry leads the NFL with 1,052 yards rushing and 11 rushing touchdowns, and he presents a big problem for the Cincinnati defense, which is in the lower half of the league in total defense and has had particular difficulty stopping the run.
Throw in Jackson, who has 505 yards rushing, and Ravens rank first in the league in total offense. They have produced more than 425 yards in six games and take care of the ball. Jackson has thrown only two interceptions.
The Bengals have been a one-trick pony behind quarterback Joe Burrow, who is having a fine year in his own right. He has matched Jackson with 20 touchdown passes and his passer rating (108.1) ranks third. The Bengals traded for halfback Khalil Herbert this week to kick-start their running game.
SUNDAY NIGHTDetroit Lions (7-1) at Houston Texans (6-3)
How to watch: NBC/Peacock, 8:20 pm ET
Key matchup: Lions O vs Texans D
Early line: Lions -3.5
Detroit has the consensus top offensive line in the league, a group that makes the Lions' collection of skill position players all the more effective. Quarterback Jared Goff has completed 74.9 percent of his passes, and his passer rating (115.0) trails only Jackson. He was a perfect 18-for-18 against Seattle on Sept. 30 and has a passer rating of 140.1 passer over the last six games, the best in any six-game stretch in NFL history.
Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery have seven rushed for seven touchdowns apiece, and leading receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has six scores.
Houston has the league's second-ranked defense, which has helped offset an offense that has struggled because of injuries to wide receivers Nico Collins and Stefan Diggs while losing two of three.
The Texans hit speed bump its last time out, a 21-13 loss to the New York Jets in the first of what will be three straight prime time appearances. Quarterback C.J. Stroud completed only 11 of 30 passes for 191 yards. The good news is that Collins, who has missed the last four games with a hamstring injury, could return this week. Diggs is out for the season.
MONDAY NIGHTMiami Dolphins (2-6) at Los Angeles Rams (4-4)
How to watch: ESPN, 8:15 pm ET
Key matchup: Kupp/Nacua vs Dolphins D
Early line: Rams -1.5
Kupp, the subject of trade speculation before the Tuesday deadline, had 11 receptions for 104 yards in his second game back from an ankle injury, a 26-20 overtime victory at Seattle last week. The Rams' have won three in a row.
Nacua had a big game the week before — seven catches for 106 yards — after returning from injured reserve. He was ejected for throwing a punch in the Seahawks' game, but Matt Stafford should have both his top receivers intact here.
Tagovailoa has been pinpoint in his two games since returning from his third concussion since the 2022 season, completing 53 of 66 passes for 465 yards and three scores. The Dolphins scored a season-high 27 points in both games, but each went the other way — a one-point loss to Arizona and a three-point loss to Buffalo a week ago on a 61-yard field goal as time expired.
The Dolphins still rank among the top defensive teams in the league, but they need Tua to have must of a chance to score. They average 15.5 points a game. Only the New York Giants are worse.
