Lamar Jackson's 5 TDs Lead Ravens to Blowout vs. Struggling Jared Goff, Rams

The Baltimore Ravens remained the hottest team in the NFL by defeating the Los Angeles Rams 45-6 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday night.

The Ravens have now won seven straight games.

Baltimore's second-year quarterback and league MVP favorite Lamar Jackson stole the show, becoming the first player ever to throw five touchdowns in his Monday Night Football debut. Jackson set that record despite getting pulled 17 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The result is devastating to the Rams' playoff hopes. They dropped to 6-5—good for third in a stout NFC West that features the 10-1 San Francisco 49ers and 9-2 Seattle Seahawks. This season has been a disappointment following L.A.'s Super Bowl appearance last season.

Notable Fantasy Stats

BAL QB Lamar Jackson: 169 yards, 5 TD on 15-of-20 passing; 8 carries, 95 yards

BAL RB Mark Ingram II: 15 carries, 111 yards, 1 TD; 1 catch, 7 yards, 1 TD

BAL WR Marquise Brown: 5 catches, 42 yards, 2 TD

BAL WR Willie Snead IV: 2 catches, 14 yards, 2 TD

BAL TE Mark Andrews: 2 catches, 45 yards

LA QB Jared Goff: 212 yards on 26-of-36 passing, 2 INT

LA RB Todd Gurley II: 6 carries, 22 yards

LA WR Robert Woods: 6 catches, 97 yards

LA WR Cooper Kupp: 6 catches, 35 yards

MVP Front-Runner Jackson Shows Off Throwing Arm in Near-Perfect Performance

Jackson single-handedly out-gained the Rams with 95 yards on the ground compared to their 22. The 22-year-old MVP candidate has been lauded plenty for his ability as a runner, and rightfully so, but this game was more about how Jackson has improved as a passer.

The 2018 first-round pick finished the evening with five passing touchdowns, tying his season-high for a single game, including three in the first half:

"Jackson has gone from throwing self-described ducks in training camp to side-arming darts just beyond the fingertips of defenders," ESPN's Jamison Hensley wrote in a deep-dive published Saturday.

"His ability to deal from the pocket is on the absolute right trajectory," ESPN analyst Louis Riddick told Hensley. "He's getting more and more comfortable to the point where, if he continues to do that and be a threat running, then as a defender, what do you do?"

The Rams dealt with that question plenty. Reigning back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald did not have a tackle or quarterback pressure in the first half, for example. The point was driven home beyond Donald when Jackson trotted on for a 4th-and-4 near the end of the third quarter and zipped a 15-yard pass to Miles Boykin:

Jackson needed just three quarters to set records through the air:

Jackson's improved efficiency has allowed the Ravens to score 22 red-zone touchdowns without a turnover and already tie a franchise record for most touchdowns in a single season:

Jackson won't have any time to rest on his laurels as the Ravens will host the 10-1 San Francisco 49ers next Sunday afternoon. The Niners will be coming off a 37-8 win over the Green Bay Packers in which the defense held Aaron Rodgers to 104 yards and one touchdown.

San Francisco's defense ranks first in total defense and passing defense but 19th in rushing defense. While Jackson's arm shined against Los Angeles, what makes him so dangerous is the fact that he can be just as effective as a runner and exploit the 49ers' weaker area if passing defense forces him. Not to mention, he has already overcome the New England Patriots' second-ranked defensive unit this season.

Having already outplayed the likes of Tom Brady, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson in the Ravens' matchups with the Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans, respectively, Jackson doesn't need a signature performance against San Francisco to be the league's MVP front-runner.

But what he has done leading up to Baltimore's clash with the Niners gives every reason to believe his MVP campaign will keep gaining steam regardless of his opponent.

Rams' Offense Looks Pedestrian

The drop-off from last season's Super Bowl run has been a consistent storyline for the Rams this season, but the Ravens highlighted just how much weaker the Rams have been.

Baltimore's league-best scoring offense performed the way the Rams were known for in 2018.

Monday night, the Rams looked about as average as an offense can look.

Quarterback Jared Goff had more passing yards (93) at halftime than Jackson (87), but Goff was not nearly as effective moving the offense down the field, as Jackson had three passing touchdowns entering the locker room.

Goff's outing appropriately included getting picked by former Rams cornerback Marcus Peters, who was traded to the Ravens earlier this season:

Worse than that, Goff hasn't thrown a touchdown since Oct. 27. The 25-year-old has 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions through 11 games this season after tossing 32 touchdowns and 12 picks in 2018.

The Rams didn't score a touchdown at all against Baltimore, and their 13-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII is looking more and more like a foreshadowing than an anomaly:

Baltimore cornered the Rams into third-down situations of at least 10 yards four times, and L.A. failed to convert any of them. Midway through the third quarter, down 35-6, the Rams couldn't convert a 3rd-and-2 and heard about it:

While many will point only to Goff and McVay, the Rams have been hurt by poor offensive line play. From ESPN's Lindsey Thiry on Oct. 19:

"Last season, the Rams started the same five linemen through the regular season and playoffs, and that group was the best in the NFL, with a top-ranked pass block win rate, according to ESPN metrics powered by NFL Next Gen Stats.

"But after the season, left guard Rodger Saffold signed a four-year, $44 million free-agent contract with the Tennessee Titans and the Rams declined an option on veteran center John Sullivan's contract.

"Rams coaches expressed confidence that Joe Noteboom and Brian Allen, selected in the third and fourth rounds of the 2018 draft, respectively, could take over at left guard and center, but the transition has appeared far from seamless—for both the first-year starters, as well as veteran tackles Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein and right guard Austin Blythe."

The disparity was again on display against the Ravens:

In terms of the effect the offensive line has had on the Rams' running game, Todd Gurley hasn't notched a 100-yard rushing game this season after having six last season (including one 200-yard outing). Gurley was all but invisible against Baltimore with just 22 yards on six carries.

If the Rams plan to make the postseason, they will have to find answers immediately. L.A. most likely needs to run the table but still has to play 10-1 San Francisco and 9-2 Seattle one more time apiece. At 6-5 in a crowded NFC, the path is bleak. Entering Week 13, the two wild-card spots in the NFC belong to Seattle and the 8-3 Minnesota Vikings.

What's Next?

Baltimore will seek its eighth consecutive victory at home against the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday.

The Rams will look to bounce back when they travel to take on the Arizona Cardinals next Sunday.