Mahomes and Jackson intensify rivalry in Ravens’ opening game against Chiefs

OWINGS MILLS, Maryland — Eight months ago, during a 17-10 loss in the AFC Championship Game, Lamar Jackson was so angry after throwing an interception in the end zone in the fourth quarter that the Baltimore Ravens quarterback ripped his helmet off his head and slammed it to the ground on his way to the sideline.

The reigning NFL Most Valuable Player has earned a reputation for frustrating defenses with his evasiveness and unpredictability, but when it comes to his clashes with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, Jackson is often the one left frustrated.

Heading into Thursday night’s rematch against the Chiefs (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), Jackson can’t even the score with a win against the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. But a win in the season opener for Jackson could change the narrative that Mahomes has become his obstacle.

Jackson’s record against Mahomes is 1-4, making it the fifth-most even rivalry between MVP-winning quarterbacks who have played each other at least five times.

“I’m not going to look at this game as a revenge game,” Jackson said. “I just want to win, no matter who we’ve played in the past years, no matter if we beat them or lost them.”

The success of Mahomes and Jackson has led some to believe this could be the next Brady-Manning rivalry. So far, Mahomes vs. Jackson has been more uneven than epic.

Jackson’s four losses to Kansas City are the most against one team. Other than Mahomes, no quarterback has beaten Jackson more than twice.

“I’m sure there’s always an extra motivation when you lose to somebody,” Ravens middle linebacker Roquan Smith said. “I have complete confidence in Lamar. He’s the leader of this team and (we know) he’s ultimately going to lead us exactly where we want to go and all we can do is keep watching out for him.”

Jackson is one of the NFL’s most successful quarterbacks, surpassing Mahomes in February to become the youngest two-time MVP since the merger at age 27. A dual-threat playmaker, Jackson has led the Ravens to the league’s best regular season record twice in his first six seasons (14-2 in 2019, 13-4 in 2023).

When competing against other top quarterbacks, Jackson usually comes out on top. He won both of his meetings with Tom Brady and beat Joe Burrow four out of five times.

But he had a hard time beating Mahomes. Jackson’s first loss as a starter was a 27-24 loss at Kansas City in Week 14 of the 2018 season, when he was knocked out of the game in overtime with an ankle injury. In 2020, after Jackson’s third consecutive loss to the Chiefs, he called them “our kryptonite.”

In January, Jackson was stopped one game short of his first Super Bowl when the Chiefs limited him to 10 points or fewer for only the fourth time in his 83-game career.

“When someone loses to someone – no matter who it is – you kind of want to get revenge on that person and prove that we can beat them, too,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. “I think Lamar has the same mindset as me and everyone else in the building – we’re trying to go in there on Thursday and win.”

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN Mahomes and Jackson can only be compared by a very small margin.

Mahomes set the tone in the first quarter of the AFC Championship Game, completing an improbable 19-yard over-the-shoulder touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce, who had a half-yard lead on Hamilton, for the game’s first touchdown.

“Nobody does it like Patrick Mahomes in terms of style,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s his own guy in terms of the way he plays. How quickly the ball comes out on the get-it-outs and how long he takes – as long as he needs to – to finish.”

TRAVIS KELCE BACK-SHOULDER TD 😱

(above @bosses)pic.twitter.com/gdF4ix8pX8

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 28, 2024

Thursday is being touted as a historic night for superstar quarterbacks, marking the first meeting of players under the age of 30 who have won multiple MVP awards.

Against Kansas City, Jackson struggled to create plays against a defense that unleashed heavy blitzes and kept his best target, tight end Mark Andrews, out of his way. Against the Chiefs, he had five passing touchdowns and three interceptions for a 53-QBR.

Mahomes, meanwhile, uses his precision to find weaknesses in Baltimore’s defense. There have been perfectly placed long throws into the end zone and unbalanced, precise passes against the grain. Mahomes has thrown 13 touchdowns and two interceptions for an 86.2 QBR against the Ravens, who in 2023 became the first team in history to lead the league in the season with fewest points allowed (16.5), most sacks (60) and most takeaways (tied for first with 31).

“He’s a great quarterback,” Jackson said. “That’s what I’m saying. He’s a great quarterback. He’s got the recognition to prove it, and he’s made things happen on the field that make his team successful.”

To turn his luck against Mahomes, Jackson can rely on another historic rivalry.

“They’re definitely two of the best quarterbacks in this league,” said Ravens fullback Pat Ricard. “It’s kind of like a Brady-Manning deal.”

Peyton Manning lost his first six head-to-head meetings with Brady before winning the next three. He defeated Brady twice in 2006 – in Week 9 and in the AFC Championship Game – en route to his first Super Bowl. Brady finished with an 11-6 record against Manning, but Manning won six of the last 11 meetings.

“I think his competitiveness is more important than his athletic ability and his throwing ability,” Mahomes said of Jackson. “I mean, he’s a guy that competes every week. You can tell he cares. You can tell he wants to go out there and win and he wants to take it on his shoulders to get his team to where they can win as many games as possible. And I think that’s really what it takes to be a great quarterback in this league.”

“It’s not always about talent. It’s about whether you go out there every week and compete and find ways to win football games when you’re not at your best or the team isn’t at its best.”

IN THE AFC In the championship game, Jackson stunned the football world by completing a 13-yard pass – to himself. After his throw deflected at the line of scrimmage, Jackson ran under it and had a path into the end zone.

That moment earned Jackson an ESPY for Best Game. But Jackson didn’t like the game.

He was tackled from behind by Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill, turning a potential 82-yard touchdown into a modest gain. This led to Jackson losing 15 pounds in the offseason.

“Maybe my eyes are deceiving me, but I think I felt a little slower,” Jackson said, “but not anymore.”

LAMAR JACKSON DID EVERYTHING IN THIS GAME 🔥 @Lj_era8 wins the ESPYS Best Play with his remarkable moment against the Kansas City Chiefs 🙌 pic.twitter.com/kMNdosrCej

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 12, 2024

Since becoming the Ravens’ starter midway through the 2018 season, Jackson has tied with Mahomes for the best regular-season winning percentage, with Jackson at 58-19 (.753) and Mahomes at 64-21 (.753).

The difference shows up in the postseason. Mahomes has a 15-3 record in the playoffs and has won three Super Bowls. Jackson has a 2-4 record in the postseason and has never reached a Super Bowl.

“We have to approach every game with the goal of making the playoffs,” Jackson said. “The playoffs are on our minds, but at the same time we have to win this game that’s in front of us.”

The Ravens have gone through changes since the AFC Championship Game. Jackson will play behind a reshuffled offensive line that includes three new starters. Baltimore signed running back Derrick Henry, making him the first All-Pro to share the backfield with Jackson.

But if Jackson wants to achieve his ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl, he will likely have to find a way to get past Mahomes and the Chiefs.

“He always finds a way to improve himself and his game,” Andrews said. “It’s just a total package, taking control of that offense (and) telling everybody what he wants. He’s been very vocal about that, which I think has been great for everybody, and it shows that we’re all on the same page. He’s got that really, really good right now and the guys are on board. So we’re going to be tested (on Thursday) and I hope that shows.”

ESPN reporter Adam Teicher contributed to this report.