ExtremeRavens Posted September 26 Posted September 26 Lamar Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes. It is, contextually, at least adjacent to some of the greatest one-on-one showdowns across the history of the sporting landscape, from Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier to Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal to Arnold Palmer vs. Jack Nicklaus. The biggest difference, of course, is that the two quarterbacks play a team sport, with the Ravens traveling to Arrowhead Stadium to face the defending AFC champion and nemesis Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon for a blockbuster but also critical showdown. Both teams enter the contest 1-2 with questions over identity and wherewithal in what is still a young NFL season yet to reach the quarter pole. For the Chiefs, an uneasiness has percolated over a struggling offense, which ranks 17th in the league, just behind the Las Vegas Raiders and just ahead of the Seattle Seahawks. The impending return of speedy second-year wideout Xavier Worthy from injury this week and the currently suspended Rashee Rice in a few more should assuage at least some of those concerns. For Baltimore, the disquietude is a bit more penetrating. Whether it has been a leaky defense, a spate of significant injuries or an atypical string of fumbles by future Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Derrick Henry, the start to what is expected to be a Super Bowl contending year has gotten off to a shaky beginning. Still, none of that diminishes the fact that two generational players will be going mano a mano for the seventh time in their careers in an electric setting, with each hoping to lead his team to an all-important win. Aside from the obvious difference between the two men being three Super Bowl titles for Mahomes and nary even an appearance in the season’s final game for Jackson, the Ravens are just 1-5 (including playoffs) against the Chiefs during Jackson’s tenure. That includes an 0-3 mark at Arrowhead. The difference in performance between the two players in the one-sided rivalry is just as stark as the record. In those six contests, Jackson, a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, has been reduced to 204.4 passing yards per game (though he has managed 71.4 rushing) and nine total touchdowns against seven turnovers. By comparison, Mahomes, also a two-time league MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP, has averaged 344 passing yards, a 72.7% completion rate, 50 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns against just three turnovers. Not that Jackson has any particular interest in previous iterations. “It’s in the past,” he said Wednesday. “You can’t bring what happened back whenever to this year.” This year, Jackson has been his mostly elite self. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws the ball away under pressure from former Ravens edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney in the 2023 AFC Championship. Mahomes is 5-1 against Lamar Jackson's Ravens in his career. (Staff file) He leads in the NFL in passer rating (141.8), touchdown passes (nine) and yards per completion (9.6). Consequently, Baltimore leads the league in points per game (37), which includes two outbursts of at least 40 points, though the Ravens have struggled in the red zone (54.5%), ranking just 17th. This is not lost on a Chiefs defense that ranks 11th in yards allowed per game (297) but has been more vulnerable against the run (114), ranking 18th. “Any play in the game, he can change the dynamic of it,” Kansas City’s star edge rusher Chris Jones said of Jackson this week. “Trying to stop Lamar is one thing. Trying to contain him is another. … I think he should’ve won MVP last year. I’ve got so much respect for him.” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has also had answers. “[They] play Cover 0, Cover 6 sometimes, quarters, invert [Cover] 2,” Jackson said. “They do it all, but we just have to execute, stay positive and ahead of the sticks, get first downs [and] put points on the board.” That was easier said than done this past Monday night against the Detroit Lions, who deployed a spy on Jackson and used a series of stunts to sack him seven times, tying a career high. Against the Chiefs, Jackson has just an 80.7 career passer rating, well below his NFL-best career mark of 103.1. He has also been sacked 11 times in those games. “It’s a little bit more of a controlled rush,” Spagnuolo told reporters this week. “When trying to tackle and sack [Lamar] he’s so elusive, that if you are out of control, you aren’t going to get him because he knows how to side step you and has a great stiff arm.” Mahomes this season, meanwhile, has gotten off to a slower start. He has completed just 59% of his passes for 669 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. He has, however, run for 125 yards to lead all quarterbacks. “Has he evolved? It seems like he’s always been great,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “I can’t remember a time that he wasn’t Patrick Mahomes. He’s the same quarterback to me. “When you try to defend him, it’s the same issues. He’s just capable of making incredible plays. I think they build the offense around him really well. It’s also a well-principled offense, in terms of just fundamental football and all that. It’s built for the quarterback, and the quarterback operates really well in it. Obviously, he’s just talented and makes a bunch of plays, and we’re going to have to deal with it.” There’s history that the loser of this game will have to deal with, too. No team has reached the Super Bowl after starting 1-3 since the 2001 New England Patriots. Barring a tie, the Ravens or Chiefs will be faced with trying to overcome that steep climb come Sunday night. But Jackson isn’t concerned with slow starts from previous years. “I don’t really care about what happened in the past,” he said. “I’ll be mad about the situation — don’t get me wrong — when it happens, but we’ve got to get ready for the Chiefs. We can’t dwell on old history. We have to worry about what’s going on now.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article Quote
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