Patrick Mahomes vs. Lamar Jackson: AFC Championship Game Can Solidify New Top QB Rivalry
Last week, the Kansas City Chiefs once again defeated the Buffalo Bills in dramatic fashion in the postseason. This time, a 27-24 win was sealed when Tyler Bass missed a potential game-tying field goal wide-right, something no Bills fan wanted to hear again. Patrick Mahomes led a fourth-quarter comeback in the playoffs for the fourth time in his career, and now the Chiefs are headed to their sixth-consecutive AFC Championship game.
This will be the first time in the Mahomes era in which the Chiefs will not host the AFC Championship Game in Kansas City at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Last week, some made a big deal about Mahomes getting his first road start, but it didn’t seem to bother him in the least. The Chiefs didn’t have to punt the ball until midway through the fourth quarter in the Divisional Round game in Buffalo. This week, the Chiefs will take their show on the road to Baltimore.
This matchup has been a story-in-waiting for the past six years. Ever since Mahomes took the league by storm in 2018, we've been told about the rivalries that would be created in the AFC with all of the quality young quarterbacks around the conference. It started as Mahomes vs. Andrew Luck, who would end up heading off to an early retirement after Mahomes knocked him out of the playoffs in 2018. We heard Baker Mayfield could be a rival when he was with the Browns. Then there was Deshaun Watson when he was with the Texans. Josh Allen and Joe Burrow have jumped to the top of the list for most. Trevor Lawrence is on some radars as a potential rival to Mahomes. However, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has always been in the picture, and now he has a chance to do something only Burrow and Tom Brady have done: beat Mahomes in the playoffs.
Mahomes and Jackson have a rivalry that dates back to a regular-season matchup in 2018. Mahomes led the Chiefs to a fourth-quarter comeback to send the game to overtime before a Harrison Butker field goal would ultimately win the game for Kansas City. In 2019, the Chiefs topped the Ravens 33-28 in a game the Chiefs controlled for most of the day. In 2020, the Chiefs jumped out to a 27-10 halftime lead and ended up winning 34-20.
In 2021, Jackson finally got his first win over Mahomes. The Chiefs led 35-24 heading into the fourth quarter, but Jackson led the comeback and gave the Ravens a 36-35 lead late in the game. Mahomes got the Chiefs into Butker's field goal range, but a late Clyde Edwards-Helaire fumble cost the Chiefs a chance at a game-winning field goal attempt.
After all those regular-season showdowns, this will be the first time Mahomes and Jackson square off in the postseason. The Ravens have not had much postseason success since Jackson took over as starter, as last week’s win over the Houston Texans was only Jackson’s second playoff win. Will the experience Mahomes brings to the table be able to overcome the perceptions of the Ravens having the stronger team this season?
The Ravens dominated so many opponents this season and the Chiefs responded to regular-season criticism to land in their sixth-consecutive AFC Championship Game. The Chiefs look to be peaking at the right time. The Ravens are getting former All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews back from injured reserve this weekend. We should be getting the best of both teams.
On the outside looking in, the Ravens seem to be the obvious choice to win this game. Their defense has dominated all season, they have the presumptive 2023 MVP at quarterback, and they blew out both teams facing off on the other side of the bracket in the NFC Championship Game. However, the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes and he's supported by the best defense he's ever had while leading this team. Andy Reid is still one of the best coaches in the NFL, the Chiefs have a running back in Isiah Pacheco who can help open up the passing game, and let’s not forget about future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce who looks to be as fresh as he’s been all season.
These teams match up well and the outcome could come down to a big turnover or special teams play. Typically, Butker is the best kicker in the building, but the Ravens have the best kicker in NFL history on the other side. The Ravens also have a better turnover margin than the Chiefs this season, so checking both of those boxes for the Ravens could be perceived as an incoming loss for Kansas City. But do you really want to bet against Mahomes at this point in the season? Are you going to bet against Butker kicking in a game-winning scenario?
In what has become an annual tradition, we could bear witness to another instant classic playoff game for the Chiefs on Sunday afternoon. This time, it will be up to Jackson and the Ravens to prove they belong in a battle with Mahomes.
