The Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens will square off in a crucial game on Sunday. Most people expected this matchup to have major playoff seeding implications. However, few anticipated that it would be vital because of the specific team records. Both Kansas City and Baltimore are 1-2, and the loser will fall to 1-3. More importantly, the pressure to climb out of that hole will intensify after Sunday’s loss.
Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson have each felt levels of pressure themselves. Jackson has dealt with a hurdle of not being able to get that signature playoff victory. Getting over the hump in Baltimore has been a steady challenge. Meanwhile, Mahomes has been shouldering an offense that has been close to average around him for the last couple of seasons.
The head-to-head battles between Mahomes and Jackson are always thrilling. Their matchups have produced tight games and exciting finishes. Sunday will mark their seventh all-time meeting.
How has each quarterback fared in these head-to-head matchups? Let’s dive into their past showings.
Mahomes holds 5-1 mark versus Jackson, Ravens
Including the playoffs, Mahomes is 5-1 all-time against Jackson and Baltimore. The Chiefs could easily be 6-0 in those meetings. In their lone loss, Kansas City blew a 35-24 fourth-quarter lead. Clyde Edwards-Helaire lost a fumble late, with the Chiefs deep in Ravens territory and nearing a potential game-winning field goal attempt while down by one point.
If anything, Mahomes has been continually efficient against the Ravens in his career. According to StatMuse, the Kansas City signal-caller has averaged a completion percentage of 71.7 percent when facing Baltimore. That average includes just the regular season. But in the AFC Championship Game meeting between the Chiefs and the Ravens recently, Mahomes completed a staggering 76.9 percent of his passes.
The Chiefs' quarterback has 14 touchdown passes to just three interceptions against the Ravens. Mahomes has tallied 2,011 passing yards when facing Baltimore. Interestingly, he has been sacked just eight times in his career against the Ravens. All of those numbers include the playoff game.
Jackson has average numbers as passer against Chiefs
The 1-5 record against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs is one tough pill to swallow for Lamar Jackson. But from a numbers perspective, his passing results are very mediocre when facing K.C. Jackson has only topped 60 percent for his completion percentage in two of his six games against Kansas City. His regular-season average for completion percentage is right at 58, via StatMuse. And in that playoff game, Jackson finished right at 54 in that category.
Stats will not always paint the entire story. However, some of the results for Jackson through the air are simply ghastly. The Ravens' passer has averaged roughly 215 passing yards when facing Kansas City in his career. Visually, we have seen Jackson press when having to repeatedly air it out against the Chiefs' defense. That led to some misses on throws, as well as some ugly interceptions when forcing things.
Jackson has six touchdown passes and three interceptions in the six games versus Kansas City. His first career outing against the Chiefs was the only time he had a multi-touchdown pass game. Additionally, Jackson has been sacked 15 times by the Chiefs, including playoffs. That averages out to 2.5 sacks that he has taken per game against this opponent. In the playoff loss alone, Jackson was sacked four times. Kansas City also forced a fumble on a strip sack during the first half.