Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are generational gamers and two-time NFL MVP award winners.
Mahomes is a three-time Tremendous Bowl champion, whereas Jackson is making an attempt to quiet his naysayers after a number of disappointing performances within the postseason.
The 2 quarterbacks meet for the sixth time of their careers when Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens play Mahones and the Tremendous Bowl champion Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in the NFL regular-season opener on Thursday, September. 5.
Mahomes has gone 4-1 head-to-head towards Jackson, together with a 17-10 victory within the AFC Championship recreation at M&T Financial institution Stadium final season.
Jackson and the Ravens need to present the remainder of the nation that they’re the primary menace to the Chiefs’ title protection. A loss may very well be devastating to the Ravens’ confidence, they usually might spend the remainder of the season within the shadow of the Chiefs… as soon as once more.
“I don’t take something from [Mahomes], I simply play my recreation,” Jackson mentioned after apply this week. “However he’s an excellent quarterback. I’m going to say that. He’s an excellent quarterback. He has the accolades to show it, and he’s made issues occur on the sector that makes his crew profitable.”
Jackson promised that he would ship a Tremendous Bowl title to the Ravens moments after the crew chosen him with the thirty second general choose within the 2018 NFL Draft. He has but to ship on that pledge, which has added extra gasoline to his critics.
In the meantime, Mahomes has led the Chiefs to 3 Tremendous Bowl titles since 2018. He was additionally named MVP in all three of these video games.
Because of this, he has little to show.
Jackson has 58-19 because the starter in the course of the common season and has additionally led the Ravens to the playoffs 5 occasions. Nevertheless, he has gone simply 2-4 within the postseason, throwing for 1,324 yards with 6 touchdowns and 6 interceptions for a 75.7 score.
Jackson won’t be judged on whether or not he wins a championship.
Mahomes, who’s getting into his eighth yr within the NFL, is already a shoe-in for the NFL Corridor of Fame when he retires. He’s certainly one of three gamers in NFL historical past, becoming a member of Tom Brady and Joe Montana, to have three Tremendous Bowl victories and two MVP awards.
Final yr, Mahomes threw for 4,183 yards and 27 touchdowns. The Chiefs had playoff victories over the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Payments, and top-seeded Ravens en path to a second consecutive Tremendous Bowl victory.
The Chiefs are the favorites to win one other Tremendous Bowl this season, adopted by the 49ers, Ravens, and Detroit Lions.
No crew in NFL historical past has received three straight Tremendous Bowls.
The championships have added strain as a result of Mahomes doesn’t need to relinquish being the NFL’s greatest crew.
“When you win the Tremendous Bowl, I really feel like, even to a different excessive, whenever you don’t win it, it sucks much more since you expertise the offseason of having the ability to say you’re the champ and having the ability to expertise the entire issues and actions as a result of you’re a Tremendous Bowl champ,” Mahomes mentioned at a press convention on the opening of Chiefs’ coaching camp. “You expertise the sensation of simply successful the Tremendous Bowl.”
The sport towards the Ravens is huge for Mahomes and the Chiefs, who will unveil one other Tremendous Bowl banner earlier than the sport.
The Kansas Metropolis gamers definitely need to win their opener for the followers, however even when the Chiefs lose, they know they’ve the expertise and depth to compete for a 3rd consecutive title.
