Quarterback Lamar Jackson threw for 204 yards and a touchdown and added 39 yards on the ground as the Baltimore Ravens upset the Los Angeles Chargers 22-10 on Saturday at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Tavon Young’s 62-yard touchdown return following an Antonio Gates fumble with 1:31 left sealed the Ravens’ win.

No player eclipsed 58 yards from scrimmage for the 11-4 Chargers, who lost for just the second time in 12 games.

The 9-6 Ravens have won five of their last six since Jackson took over as starting quarterback.

Rivers’ MVP Stock Takes Major Hit vs. Stingy Ravens D

OddsShark listed Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers with the third-best odds in the league to win the NFL MVP award at 16-1 on December 12, but any slight hope that the 15-year veteran would get that honor likely evaporated on Saturday evening.

Rivers struggled all night as he went just 23-for-37 with 181 passing yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions. In fairness to Rivers, it didn’t help that linebacker Za’Darius Smith and the Ravens defense were in his face all night with eight quarterback hits and four sacks.

Granted, the Ravens defense is ranked second overall in DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) and second against the pass, per Football Outsiders. They’ve also allowed just 6.2 yards per pass attempt, which is the NFL’s best mark.

Still, the Bolts’ offensive performance was disappointing. Only three teams have thrown for fewer yards against the Ravens this season, and Rivers threw for just 4.9 yards per attempt, which is well below Baltimore’s average. The Ravens also allowed 19.6 points per game on the road entering the night, and the Chargers fell short of that mark by almost 10.

OddsShark also had an implied team total of 23.25 points before the game, so expectations were that they’d do better in a crucial home spot. That didn’t happen, however, as Rivers’ MVP odds have likely been erased.

Rivers likely wants to win a more important trophy, however, as the Lombardi has eluded him thus far. He’ll have a chance to fix that this year, as the 11-4 Bolts are playoff-bound and could make a Super Bowl run.

If Rivers’ remarkable overall performance this season continues into the playoffs, the Bolts have a good shot to make it to their first Super Bowl in 24 seasons. Through 15 weeks, Rivers ranked fifth in completion percentage, tied for third in passing touchdowns and second in adjusted passing yards per attempt.

A talented skill-position core and a fantastic defense led by safety Derwin James and edge-rushers Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa should also help the Chargers make strong playoff impact.

Ravens’ Ball-Control Offense Isn’t Recipe for Playoff Success

A dominant defense in conjunction with a dominant rushing attack has made the Ravens an outlier in a league where the Seattle Seahawks stand as the NFL’s only team with more runs than passes this season, per Sharp Football Stats.

Since Jackson got the starting role in Week 11, the Ravens have run the ball 64 percent of the time. To put that number into context, the Seahawks are second in run rate at 54 percent during that span. The NFL average is 42 percent.

That’s certainly working right now, but a couple of issues with this strategy exist long term.

First, Jackson’s weekly run totals aren’t sustainable. The 2016 Heisman Trophy winner has rushed 16.5 times per game from Weeks 11 through 16. Those are numbers for a starting running back, and yet Jackson is being asked to throw 20-plus times per game as well.

Jackson proved in college that he’s capable of carrying a massive dual-threat workload, but doing that in the pros would be unprecedented for a quarterback.

For context, other mobile quarterbacks in recent history haven’t run nearly as much. Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has never run more than 9.0 times per game in a season, and ex-Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles signal-caller Michael Vick never eclipsed 8.3 carries per contest.

The ex-Louisville star is proving a lot of people wrong on a weekly basis, and it’s possible Jackson is special enough to carry this burden. However, seeing him do this week after week is hard to envision.

Second, the Ravens defense is not invincible. They’re arguably the best unit in the league right now, but they’ve also given up a few big offensive performances, including a 36-point outing against the Carolina Panthers. If Baltimore falls into a multiple-score hole, are the Ravens capable of climbing out of it?

That question is related to the current state of the Ravens’ passing attack. Jackson absolutely has the potential to be a fantastic downfield passer and one of the NFL’s most lethal weapons, but he’s not there just yet. If he’s down 14-0 or 21-3, can he bring his team back?

Of note, Jackson only has 19 passes of 15 or more yards this season (17 through Week 15 and two more on Saturday). Granted, he’s only played six full games, but he doesn’t yet have great chemistry with his pass-catching crew. One could argue he has the best rapport with tight end Mark Andrews, who hauled in a 68-yard touchdown, but generally speaking, the talented rookie is not looked at as a big-play, downfield threat.

Jackson has certainly proved he can throw the ball, and talk of NFL teams wanting him to try out at wide receiver at the NFL combine looks like the 2018 poster child for Freezing Cold Takes.

But right now, there isn’t much evidence he’s reached that level in his development just yet. Jackson has been sensational and looks like he’ll be running the AFC North with Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield for 10-15 years, but as for this year, the Ravens might be in trouble if they fall behind in the playoffs against some of the AFC’s high-powered offenses.

What’s Next?

Baltimore will host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, December 30, at 1 p.m. ET. The Ravens can still make the playoffs with a Week 17 loss, but a win will seal a postseason berth.

The Chargers will face the Denver Broncos on the road Sunday, December 30, at 4:25 p.m. L.A. has clinched a playoff berth but now faces an uphill climb to overtake the 11-3 Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC West title and the conference’s No. 1 seed.

The Tennessee Titans organization can’t rely on Marcus Mariota. For all of the quarterback’s natural ability and athleticism, he hasn’t stayed healthy—which severely hampers his and the Titans’ long-term potential. 

Mariota left Saturday’s 25-16 victory over the Washington Redskins during the second quarter after being slung to the ground by defensive lineman Jonathan Allen. The team designated the quarterback’s injury as a stinger, according to Jim Wyatt of the Titans official site. 

Another injury. Another disappointment. So much hope rested on Mariota’s hampered shoulder, yet the Titans don’t have any indication the 2015 second overall pick can withstand the physical demands necessary from the game’s most important position. 

Availability is a professional athlete’s best ability. 

To make matters worse—for Mariota, this is—Blaine Gabbert came into the game with the Titans trailing 10-6 and led them to a victory that kept their playoff hopes alive. 

“It’s huge. That’s why [Gabbert] is here,” head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters after the game. “That’s his job to be ready, to go and prepare like a starter, and if his opportunity comes, to make the most of it.”

Any difference between the two quarterbacks didn’t even register. Mariota completed 10 of 13 passes for 110 yards, while Gabbert completed seven of 11 for 101 yards and the game-winning touchdown pass. 

To make something crystal clear, Gabbert isn’t the Titans’ solution. He’s a failed first-round pick with a rather extensive history of average-to-subpar play. His performance does say something about the state of the franchise, though. 

The Titans aren’t built around the quarterback position. Tennessee’s best chance of winning each week depends on a smashmouth offensive approach behind a physically imposing offensive line and running back. Derrick Henry has developed into a true workhorse with 71 carries for 492 yards and seven touchdowns over the last three weeks.

To compete on a consistent basis with a ball-control offense, a team needs to have a stout defense. The Titans were tied for first overall in points allowed per game with 18.1 before improving their average by allowing just 16 points to Washington. 

Essentially, the Titans franchise resides in no man’s land where the postseason remains a possibility but a legitimate Super Bowl run is far-fetched. 

Teams need quality quarterback play to consistently win. The Titans haven’t received that even when Mariota has been healthy this season. The front office must decide whether the 25-year-old quarterback is worthy of a $20.9 million fifth-year option on his rookie contract—also taking into account the possibility of not being in a position to significantly upgrade the position this offseason. 

There is no good solution to this quarterback conundrum. 

Mariota’s injury history could be the driving force behind any long-term planning. Vrabel wouldn’t elaborate on the quarterback’s status after the game and didn’t mention if it’s related to his previous elbow injury, according to ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport. 

Nearly every player suffers stingers at some point. But a stinger is more concerning when it happens to a quarterback who suffered nerve damage in his elbow earlier in the season, didn’t start two games afterward and may have lingering issues in his throwing arm. 

“The way that they explained it to me is like when you strum a guitar string; when that string settles down, that’s similar to how my nerve is,” Mariota said after sitting out Tennessee’s Week 2 contest against the Houston Texans, per the Tennessean‘s Erik Bacharach. “My nerve has kind of been strummed, so it’s going to take it’s time to settle down.”

Peyton Manning finished his career after suffering nerve damage in his neck and without being able to feel his fingertips, but he was in his late 30s. The Indianapolis Colts‘ Andrew Luck considered retirement during his recovery from a significant shoulder injury. These kind of injuries aren’t to be taken lightly.

Mariota’s current status is merely a part of a much bigger picture.

Since entering the league, the native Hawaiian had his rookie season ended by an MCL sprain. The quarterback fractured his right fibula during his sophomore campaign. He dealt with nagging hamstring and knee issues during the 2017 season. In total, Mariota has missed seven games in four seasons, yet the severity of those injuries is far worse than the missed-game total indicates. 

When an organization has to hold its collective breath every time its quarterback takes a hit, the team’s brass should question whether he’s the right person to lead the team. Talent and respect are wonderful traits to have at the quarterback position, but those two qualities mean next to nothing if reliability isn’t factored into the equation. 

The Titans quarterback hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire when he’s been on the field. He’s provided a 24-to-23 touchdown-to-interception ratio over his last 29 regular-season games. His development from spread phenom hasn’t gone according to plan even when the staff attempted to build the scheme around his unique skill set. Instead, offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur went a different route in recent weeks, leaning on his exceptional running back to get the team’s offense back on track. 

Tennessee’s pass offense ranked 30th overall entering Saturday’s contest. This isn’t entirely Mariota’s fault. The Titans quarterback is among the league’s most pressured signal-callers. The team’s wide receivers and tight ends aren’t much a threat. But Mariota hasn’t helped matters, either.

A franchise quarterback is supposed to elevate the play of those around him. Mariota hasn’t. He still needs to show he’s more than a product of a system, especially if the Titans are going to make a significant investment in him. 

“We’re excited to have him around here for the next couple of years, and hopefully after the next season we can start to figure something out to keep him around even longer,” general manager Jon Robinson said after revealing the Titans planned to pick up Mariota’s fifth-year option, per the Tennessean‘s Jason Wolf. 

Robinson may want to rethink those plans and consider alternatives. First, the general manager should ask himself an important question: Is Mariota the right quarterback to lead the Titans? The answer used to be obvious, but it’s not anymore. 

The Titans can pursue a veteran in free agency at a lesser price to replace Mariota and/or serve as a bridge for another prospect. Teddy Bridgewater, Tyrod Taylor, Joe Flacco (once released) and Nick Foles (after the Eagles turn down his 2019 option) are starting options. The organization could then double-down by drafting another quarterback to develop.

Neither Robinson nor Vrabel is tied to Mariota. This regime didn’t draft him. No reason can be given for them not to consider every available option in search of overall improvement. 

If Mariota’s season ends prematurely again due to an injury, the Titans’ plans for him should as well. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @brentsobleski.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz has been out since Nov. 19 with a shoulder injury, and it’s currently unclear whether he will return during the 2018-19 season.

“I can’t say right now,” general manager Elton Brand said of Fultz’s potential return, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).

Brand said the decision is “to be determined” and there will be more clarity in “a few weeks.”

There have been questions about the guard’s health since he entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft. He was limited to just 14 games during his rookie season and has played 19 games this year, with an altered jump shot also being a significant concern even when he is on the court.

His agent announced earlier this month that Fultz has been diagnosed with neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, which affects the nerves between his neck and his shoulder, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

If the 76ers believe he can get healthy and eventually live up to his lofty expectations, it might be smart to give him extra time to rehabilitate over the course of the season. Considering he is still just 20 years old in his second season, there is plenty of time for him to turn his career around.

On the other hand, the team is reportedly torn on whether to trade him this season, per Keith Pompey of the Inquirer.

Philadelphia could potentially showcase him before the Feb. 7 deadline, even before he is 100 percent.

The team will apparently use the next few weeks to evaluate its options and decide on the next course of action.

Unai Emery has rejected Burnley boss Sean Dyche’s accusation that Arsenal players dived during the Gunners’ 3-1 win over the Clarets in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the win, Emery said: “I do not agree with him. Also we can and need everybody and for the first time we are leading at half-time of a match in a Premier League. And we need the respect of a referee and we need respect between us.”

Arsenal’s head coach also talked about the visitors’ physical approach to the game: “We expected long balls, section actions, pushes—they also have good players and their attacking players created problems for us.”

Emery’s words came after Dyche’s post-match interviews were dominated with talk of diving. The 47-year-old detailed more than one incident:

Dyche eventually referenced Matteo Guendouzi, Granit Xhaka and Mesut Ozil, according to David Hytner of the Guardian. He called such antics “absolute cheating.”

Emery wasn’t the only one to disagree with Dyche’s take, though. Some deemed his words as merely an attempt to distract from his team’s battle against relegation:

The Clarets likely need the distraction after losing for the 12th time in 18 league matches to remain in the bottom three.

Two goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and one from substitute Alex Iwobi were enough for Arsenal to win what devolved into a scrappy game at times, with several fouls committed by both sides.

While there were seven yellow cards dished out, Dyche’s men collected five of them. Ashley Barnes, who scored the Clarets’ lone goal, was one of the players booked a escaped a second caution after appearing to stamp on Guendouzi.

Dyche may not have seen the incident, but he couldn’t escape criticism for his team’s style of play:

Trying to draw a moral distinction between overtly physical challenges and diving is an exercise in futility. Both are ways for teams to gain an unfair advantage during any match.

Yet while there’s an element of a double standard within Dyche’s comments, his basic sentiment that diving needs to stop is beyond dispute. Nor can Emery afford to brush the question off so easily.

The Spaniard saw three players, including Guendouzi and Xhaka, receive yellow cards for simulation when Arsenal beat Huddersfield Town 1-0 earlier in December.

Dyche’s subsequent accusations of similar offences won’t just put Emery on the defensive. They may also have referees paying extra attention to how Arsenal players react when they are challenged.

As he ponders the next move in his NBA career, New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis indicated money won’t be the driving factor.

Following the Pelicans’ 112-104 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, Davis said he would “take legacy over money,” per Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes:

“I want to have a legacy. All my people that look up to me, the younger kids, I want them to know about AD’s legacy. Championships, the things I do in the community, being a good teammate, playing hard. All that stuff matters the most to me. Don’t get me wrong, money is amazing. But I think in that sense, money or legacy, I think my legacy will win that battle every time.”

Davis’ comments are bad news for the Pelicans, who can offer him more money than any other team. The five-time All-Star can collect a supermax extension in New Orleans worth an estimated $240 million. His contract would max out at $152 million elsewhere.

Should he want to best position himself to win an NBA title, Davis’ future likely lies outside of New Orleans. He’s in his seventh year with the Pelicans, who have gone no further than the second round of the playoffs during that time.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant made similar decisions when they had the opportunity to hit free agency.

James signed with the Miami Heat in 2010 and then Durant joined up with the Golden State Warriors in 2016. James won two championships with the Heat, while Durant is on his way to a third title in Golden State. In both cases, they strengthened their basketball legacies by spurning the teams that selected them in the NBA draft.

Davis is eligible to hit free agency after the 2019-20 season, which was already a big story before James weighed in on the possibility of teaming up with him.

“That would be amazing,” James said earlier this week, per ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin. “That would be amazing, like, duh. That would be incredible.”

According to Haynes, Davis and James also had dinner following Friday’s game.

As much as the speculation about Davis going to Los Angeles is intensifying, it might be a while before he’s suiting up in another uniform. Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry was adamant when speaking to reporters that the team isn’t going to trade its best player.