Could sitting out Week 18 affect Lamar Jackson's MVP case?

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said on Wednesday that QB Lamar Jackson's regular season is over since the Ravens (13-3) have the AFC's No. 1 seed locked up. QB Tyler Huntley will get the start against the Steelers (9-7) in Week 18 but could Jackson fall short of winning his second MVP because of it?

According to FanDuel, Jackson is the strong favorite to win the award as he will finish the regular season with 3,678 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions along with 821 yards and five touchdowns rushing. 

However, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, who has the second-best odds, has a strong case as well and he will likely play this week to try and win the NFC East.

Prescott has thrown for 4,237 yards, a league-high 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions with one game to go. He also has 242 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

That means Prescott needs just 21 yards on Sunday to finish the season with more total yards than Jackson and further build his lead of total touchdowns.

Better stats alone won't have Prescott stealing the MVP away from Jackson, but they will surely help.

If Prescott can lead Dallas to its 12th win of the season against the Commanders (4-12) in Week 18, which seems likely, he'll have just one less win than Jackson on the year as well.

Both players' games are different, and there's no arguing Jackson is much more dynamic with the ball in his hands. But Prescott has put together one of the best seasons of his eight-year career and his case should not be overlooked.

There may not be a better way to compare Jackson and Prescott than if they were to play each other. But the only possibility of that happening would be if the two were to meet in Super Bowl LVIII. Too bad the NFL MVP is awarded just a few days before it (Feb. 8).