Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale describes the Week 3 matchup between Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes as an all-time great showdown.
If you ask Wink Martindale, the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, what he thinks of this week’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he has historic terms he’d like to use. That’s because he sees the quarterback matchup right in line with sports’ all time greatest showdowns.
In his comments to reporters this week, Martindale was quick to praise Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as well as the team’s own recent first round investment at the same position in Lamar Jackson. In fact, he said the Week 3 competition featuring Mahomes vs. Jackson falls right in line with sports’ greatest rivalries.
"“That’s the direction this league is going,” Martindale said. “Just as an NFL fan, as a fantasy owner if you will, the NFL’s in good hands with these young quarterbacks. I think you’re going to see two great quarterbacks in this game. We might be seeing the next (Tom) Brady–(Peyton) Manning matchup. (Muhammad) Ali–(Joe) Frazier. Magic (Johnson)–(Larry) Bird.”"
That seems a tall order for even Mahomes just yet, let alone Jackson, but we’ll let a guy root for his own. The reality is that just last season, the average fan was still questioning whether or not Jackson could successfully play quarterback at the professional level. While that might have been unfair, to be sure, it’s a bit early to call Jackson some historic quarterback despite the way he thrashed an opponent that’s not even trying (sarcasm intended).
In fact, if Mahomes is going to have an opponent in this generation of new quarterbacks, is it really going to be Lamar Jackson? Is he even in the conversation at this point? Wouldn’t Jared Goff of the L.A. Rams make more sense? After all, that would be AFC vs. NFC and contender vs contender. Plus the Chiefs-Rams matchup last year was the single biggest game of the season in which 105 total points were scored. One hundred and five!
Or how about Deshaun Watson? They are from the same draft class, taken two picks apart. Watson has big-game ability and if not for the Texans inability to actually put an offensive line together, this would likely be a major AFC showdown.
As for Jackson, that’s a possibility but the player and the team would both have to show they’re capable of a lot more than they have to date. It just takes time, although a strong showing in Week 3 could be a major part of that. Given they’re facing Mahomes, however, we wouldn’t count on it.