Surpassing Vick called an ‘honor’ by Jackson
Raven needs just 63 yards to set rushing record for QBs
Since entering the NFL, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been compared to Michael Vick as a dynamic dual-threat quarterback.
Longtime defensive coordinator Wade Phillips referred to Jackson as “Michael Vick Plus.”
When Jackson faces the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, he’ll have the opportunity to break one of Vick’s longstanding feats. Jackson needs 63 yards to break Vick’s single-season record for most rushing yards by a quarterback, 1,039, set in 2006.
“It would be an honor,” Jackson said Wednesday. “Like I said, Michael Vick is my favorite player, and for me to do such a thing is incredible. He had that record for a long time and it would be really cool.”
Jackson, who said he still watches Vick’s highlights, would join him as the only quarterbacks in NFLhistory to rush for1,000 yards in a season.
After the Ravens’ 45-6 win over the Los Angeles Rams, which Vick was in attendance to watch, Jackson was given a speed rating of 96 in the latest “Madden 20” update , surpassing Vick as the fastest quarterback in Madden history.
Vick later gifted Jackson a pair of autographed cleats, calling it a “changing of the guard.”
Cowboys at Bears Tonight, 8:20 rooting for the purple and black when they take their eight-game winning streak to Buffalo to face the Bills this Sunday.
“Baltimore is the home of the Catholic Church, the Roman Catholic Church, when it first started in the New World, here in Baltimore,” Harbaugh said Wednesday. “It’s an honor to have Pope Francis here obviously — especially as a Catholic, [I] appreciate that — and [it’s] kind of neat. We’ll see if he’s wearing his jersey any time soon.”
Extra points
The Ravens have claimed center Hronnis Grasu off waivers from the Tennessee Titans.
In a corresponding move, the team has waived defensive tackle Zach Sieler.
Grasu, 28, appeared in three games for the Ravens last season and started one game at guard. He was released last November to create a roster spot for cornerback Maurice Canady, who was activated from injured reserve.
The Ravens also signed guard Will Holden to their practice squad.
The San Francisco 49ers have suspended their radio color-analyst for suggesting Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson held an edge on faking handoffs in the team’s 20-17 win Sunday because of his skin color, according to a San Francisco Chronicle report. According to the report, the 49ers suspended Tim Ryan, who made the comments Monday on KNBR, a Bay Area sports radio station.
Fullback-defensive lineman Patrick Ricard, who on Tuesday signed a two-year extension through the 2021season, joked the signing “didn’t really hit me at first until I got that signing bonus.”
Harbaugh said he “anticipates” safety Brynden Trawick, who on Tuesday was activated from injured reserve, will play Sunday.
Cornerback Marcus Peters said he misplayed the football on the 49ers’ first-quarter touchdown in Sunday’s 20-17 win. “I just got to pick it off, to be honest with you,” Peters said. “I just turned the wrong way.”
Heading into the final week of Pro Bowl fan voting, Jackson continues to be the leading vote-getter, with 447,481 votes. Ricard, Peters, right tackle Orlando Brown Jr., guard Marshal Yanda and kicker Justin Tucker lead their respective position groups. The Ravens are second in total team votes, behind the San Francisco 49ers.