OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Eight months in the past in a 17-10 loss within the AFC Championship Sport, Lamar Jackson was so infuriated after throwing a fourth-quarter interception in the long run zone that the Baltimore Ravens quarterback ripped off his helmet and slammed it to the bottom whereas strolling to the sideline.
The reigning NFL Most Useful Participant has constructed a popularity for irritating defenses together with his elusiveness and unpredictability. But, in the case of his clashes with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, Jackson has often been the one left annoyed.
Heading into Thursday evening’s rematch with the Chiefs (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), Jackson cannot even the rating by beating the two-time defending Tremendous Bowl champions. However a victory within the season opener for Jackson may begin to change the narrative that Mahomes has turn into his roadblock.
Jackson is 1-4 towards Mahomes, which is tied for the fifth most lopsided rivalry between MVP award-winning quarterbacks who’ve performed one another a minimum of 5 occasions.
“I am not simply going to have a look at this sport prefer it’s a revenge sport,” Jackson mentioned. “Anyone we have performed, regardless of if we have beat them or misplaced to them in earlier years, I simply wish to win.”
The success of Mahomes and Jackson has led some to suppose this might be the following Brady-Manning rivalry. At this stage, Mahomes vs. Jackson has been extra uneven than epic.
Jackson’s 4 losses towards Kansas Metropolis are his most towards any staff. Apart from Mahomes, no quarterback has crushed Jackson greater than twice.
“I am certain [that] any time you lose towards anybody, there’s going to be further motivation,” Ravens center linebacker Roquan Smith mentioned. “I’ve all my religion in Lamar. He is the chief of this staff, and [we know] that he’ll lead us precisely the place we wish to go, on the finish of the day, and all we are able to do is proceed to help him.”
Jackson has been probably the most profitable quarterbacks within the NFL, surpassing Mahomes in February to turn into the youngest two-time MVP (age 27) because the merger. As a dual-threat playmaker, Jackson has led the Ravens to one of the best regular-season report within the league twice in his first six seasons (14-2 in 2019, 13-4 in 2023).
When competing towards different prime quarterbacks, Jackson has often come out on prime. He gained each of his conferences towards Tom Brady. He is crushed Joe Burrow 4 out of 5 occasions.
However he is struggled to outduel Mahomes. Jackson’s first loss as a starter was a 27-24 defeat in Kansas Metropolis in Week 14 of the 2018 season, when he was knocked out of the sport in time beyond regulation with an ankle damage. In 2020, after Jackson’s third straight loss to the Chiefs, he known as them “our kryptonite.”
In January, Jackson was stopped one sport wanting reaching his first Tremendous Bowl when the Chiefs held him to 10 factors or much less for simply the fourth time in his 83-game profession.
“At any time when anyone loses to anyone — it would not matter who it’s — you sort of wish to get again at that individual and wish to show [that], ‘We will beat them, too,'” Ravens security Kyle Hamilton mentioned. “I feel Lamar has the identical mindset that I’ve [and] that everyone within the constructing has — we’re attempting to go in there on Thursday and get a win.”
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN Mahomes and Jackson may be measured by the smallest of margins.
Mahomes set the tone within the AFC Championship Sport within the first quarter: He accomplished an unbelievable back-shoulder 19-yard landing move to tight finish Travis Kelce, who had a half-yard separation on Hamilton, for the primary rating of the sport.
“No person does it like Patrick Mahomes does it when it comes to the type of it,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh mentioned. “He’s his personal man when it comes to the best way he performs. How fast the ball comes out on those on the get-it-outs and the way lengthy he’ll take — so long as vital — to attempt to discover a completion.”
TRAVIS KELCE BACK-SHOULDER TD 😱
(through @chiefs)pic.twitter.com/gdF4ix8pX8
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 28, 2024
Thursday might be marketed as a historic evening of famous person quarterbacks. This may mark the primary showdown between gamers with a number of MVP awards underneath the age of 30.
In opposition to Kansas Metropolis, Jackson has stumbled to create performs towards a protection that unleashes heavy blitzes and takes away his prime goal in tight finish Mark Andrews. He has recorded 5 passing touchdowns and three interceptions for a 53 QBR towards the Chiefs.
Mahomes, in the meantime, makes use of his accuracy to seek out cracks in Baltimore’s protection. There have been completely positioned lengthy throws to the tip zone and off-balance exact passes towards the grain. Mahomes has thrown 13 touchdowns and two interceptions for a 86.2 QBR towards the Ravens, who in 2023 grew to become the primary staff in historical past to guide the league in fewest factors allowed (16.5), most sacks (60) and most takeaways (tied for first at 31) in the identical season.
“He is an excellent quarterback,” Jackson mentioned. “I’ll say that. He is an excellent quarterback. He has the accolades to show it, and he is made issues occur on the sphere that makes his staff profitable.”
To vary his fortune towards Mahomes, Jackson can look to a different historic rivalry.
“They’re undoubtedly two of the highest quarterbacks on this league,” Ravens fullback Pat Ricard mentioned. “It is sort of a Brady-Manning sort of deal.”
Peyton Manning misplaced his first six head-to-head conferences towards Brady earlier than successful the following three. He defeated Brady twice in 2006 — in Week 9 and the AFC Championship Sport — on his method to his first Tremendous Bowl. Brady completed with a 11-6 report towards Manning, however Manning gained six of the final 11 matchups.
“I feel greater than athletic potential and skill to throw is the best way he competes,” Mahomes mentioned about Jackson. “I imply, he is a man that competes each single week. You possibly can inform he cares. You possibly can inform he needs to go on the market and win and he needs to place it on his shoulders to take his staff to the place they will win as many video games as potential. And I feel that is one thing that is actually what it actually takes to be an excellent quarterback on this league.
“It is not all the time about expertise. It is about are you able to go on the market and compete each single week and discover methods to, each time you do not have your greatest stuff, your staff would not have your greatest stuff, you discover methods to win soccer video games that means.”
IN THE AFC Championship Sport, Jackson dazzled the soccer world by finishing a 13-yard move — to himself. After his throw was tipped on the line of scrimmage, Jackson ran underneath it and had a path to the tip zone.
It was a second that led Jackson to successful an ESPY for “Greatest Play.” However Jackson did not just like the play.
He was tackled from behind by Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill, turning what may have been an 82-yard landing right into a modest achieve. It induced Jackson to drop 15 kilos this offseason.
“My eyes could also be deceiving me, however I imagine I regarded just a little slower to me,” Jackson mentioned, “however not now.”
LAMAR JACKSON DID IT ALL ON THIS PLAY 🔥 @Lj_era8 wins the ESPYS Greatest Play together with his outstanding second vs. the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs 🙌 pic.twitter.com/kMNdosrCej
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 12, 2024
Since changing into the Ravens’ starter halfway by the 2018 season, Jackson is tied with Mahomes for one of the best win proportion within the common season. Jackson is 58-19 (.753), and Mahomes is 64-21 (.753).
The distinction comes within the postseason. Mahomes is 15-3 within the playoffs, successful three Tremendous Bowls. Jackson is 2-4 within the postseason and has by no means reached a Tremendous Bowl.
“We’ve to enter each sport attempting to make the playoffs,” Jackson mentioned. “Playoffs are on our thoughts, however on the identical time, we have now to win this sport that is forward of us.”
The Ravens have undergone change because the AFC Championship Sport. Jackson will line up behind a revamped offensive line, which options three new starters. Baltimore signed working again Derrick Henry, changing into the primary All-Professional to share the backfield with Jackson.
However, if Jackson needs to achieve his final objective of successful a Tremendous Bowl, he’ll possible want to determine a method to get by Mahomes and the Chiefs.
“He is all the time discovering a method to elevate himself and his sport,” Andrews mentioned. “It is only a full package deal of taking management of this offense [and] telling everyone what he needs to be accomplished. He is been extraordinarily vocal about that, which I feel has been wonderful for everyone, and that goes again to all of us being on the identical web page. He is obtained that down actually, very well proper now, and guys are purchased in. So, we will be examined [Thursday], and I hope it reveals.”
ESPN reporter Adam Teicher contributed to this report.
