During his press conference on January 24, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson gave his first public reaction to facing Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes in the 2024 AFC Championship Game.
“I don’t like competing against him at all,” Jackson said jokingly.
But all joking aside, Jackson believes the AFC Championship will be a heavyweight battle between two great quarterbacks.
“He’s a great quarterback,” Jackson said of Mahomes. “Definitely a Hall of Famer, it’s a no-brainer he’s definitely a Hall of Famer. I believe it’s just two greats, up-and-coming greats, going toe-to-toe like a heavyweight fight. Heavyweight matchup, that’s what I see.”
Chiefs Defense Will Have Their Hands Full in AFCCG
When the Chiefs’ defense takes the field for the AFC Championship, they will have their hands full.
During the regular season, Baltimore’s offense ranked fourth in the NFL in points per game (28.4) and sixth in yards per game (370.4). Jackson, who is the front-runner to win his second MVP and was named a first-team All-Pro, finished the regular season with a career-high completion percentage (67.2) and passing yardage total (3,678). He also had 29 total touchdowns (24 passing, 5 rushing) and committed 13 total turnovers (7 interceptions, 5 fumbles), per StatMuse.
Jackson’s increased productivity inside the pocket paired with his elite playmaking ability as a runner helped the Ravens’ offense under first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken finish fourth in the NFL in offensive DVOA (19.1%).
Against the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round, Jackson completed 72% of his pass attempts, gained 252 total yards (152 passing, 100 rushing), and scored 4 total touchdowns (2 rushing, 2 receiving) en route to a 34-10 win.
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Pairing that type of offensive production with a defense in Baltimore that ranked first in the NFL in defensive DVOA during the regular season (-23.3%) means the Ravens are the most well-rounded team remaining in the postseason based on statistics.
On the flip side, Kansas City’s defense allowed the second-fewest points per game during the regular season (17.1) and had the sixth-best defensive DVOA (-5.0%). Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ offense has found its stride during the playoffs and is averaging 26.5 points per game. Not to mention that the unit has Mahomes and Kelce, who have had a historical amount of success during the postseason.
All of this means that, when the two teams face each other on Sunday, it should be a very competitive matchup. So get your popcorn ready.
The Chiefs-Ravens game will take place at 2 p.m. Central time and will be available to watch on CBS. The winner of the game will advance to Super Bowl LVIII, which will take place in Las Vegas on February 11.
According to Heavy’s projections, which are powered by Quarter4, the Chiefs have a 43% chance of defeating the Ravens.
The Chiefs and Ravens have played four times since Mahomes and Jackson have become the starting QBs of their respective franchises, and Kansas City is 3-1 in those games.
Andy Reid Talks Trying to Contain Lamar Jackson
Speaking to the media on January 22, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked if the approach to containing Jackson is the same approach the team uses on Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, whom Kansas City defeated in the AFC Divisional Round.
“I would tell you, it’s somewhat the same. You have to stay in your lanes, you have to stay disciplined with any quarterback that runs,” Reid explained during his press conference. “Lamar (Jackson) is special, he’s fast and one of the faster guys on the field when it’s all said and done and he’s shifty. Where Josh (Allen) will go right through you, he doesn’t care, he’s a big, big man and probably equally as fast. He’s a fast kid, he’s run away from secondary players, you’ve seen that on tape.
“This kid, he throws it well, he throws it on the move well, runs the ball well so we’ve just got to stay on top of that part of it throughout practice this week and then during the game.”
