Jackson and Mahomes: A QB heavyweight fight
Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are two of the best players of their generation.
Today, they will break another NFL barrier and have a chance to punch their ticket to Super Bowl LVIII.
With Jackson and Mahomes, the AFC Championship Game will feature two Black starting quarterbacks for the first time. Today will also be the second conference championship game in NFL history in which two Black quarterbacks have started. The first was the 2005 NFC Championship Game between the Falcons and the Eagles, which featured Michael Vick against Donovan McNabb.
Jackson and Mahomes took two completely different paths to reach the AFC title game.
Last year, at this time, it appeared that Jackson’s time with the Baltimore Ravens was ending. He was set to become a free agent last March, but the Ravens franchise tagged him. Weeks later he requested a trade before the two sides eventually agreed to a five-year, $260 million extension with $185 million in guarantees. He parlayed his new long-term security into a season that will likely end with his second NFL MVP award (the first was a unanimous win after the 2019 season).
Last offseason, Baltimore hired Todd Monken as offensive coordinator, wanting to improve its passing game with a more balanced offense. Mission accomplished as Jackson passed for a career-high 3,678 yards along with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The twotime All Pro also rushed for 821 yards and five touchdowns.
“He’s going to be the MVP for a reason,” Mahomes said about Jackson. “He goes out there, he leads his team. He scores, he runs, he throws, he does whatever it takes to win. That’s what the great greats do. It will be a great challenge for our defense but also a great challenge for the offense going against their defense. So it’s going to take a full team effort if we want to find a way to get a win.”
Last week, in the AFC divisional round against the Texans, Jackson registered one of his finest performances, accounting for four touchdowns. He completed 16 of 22 passes for 152 yards, two touchdowns, rushing for 100 yards, and two scores on 11 carries.
“Lamar 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,” Chiefs Coach Andy Reid said. “He’s a fast kid, he’s run away from secondary players, you’ve seen that on tape.
“This kid [Jackson], 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.”
In his sixth season as an NFL starter, Mahomes has already built a Hall of Fame resume. He has two NFL MVPs (2018, 2022), will play in his sixth consecutive AFC title game, and has won two Super Bowls. But this year was like any other year for the Chiefs.
After winning the Super Bowl in 2022, the Chiefs got off to a 6-1 start. However, Kansas City’s high-flying attack suddenly looked average and the team lost five of eight games before turning things around again to close the season.
The reason for the Chiefs’ offensive woes in 2023 was the lack of consistency from their receiver corps. During the regular season, the Chiefs’ pass catchers dropped 44 of 597 passes, for a 6.9% drop rate, the highest in the league.
In years past, the Chiefs’ offense with Mahomes at the helm as been the main cog for their success, but their defense has led the way this season. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit ranked second in the regular season in total defense (113.2 rushing yards allowed per game, 176.5 passing).
“He has done a great job his entire time here,” Mahomes said about Spagnuolo’s defense. “He has really done a great job wherever he’s been. He always coaches the defense up and gets guys going in the right direction. He has a track record as one of the best defensive coordinators of all time.
“This year has really magnified it with how they’ve really carried us to get to this point. He has done a great job of being able to make in-game adjustments. I’ve said it in training camp and all year long, I’m glad I don’t have to go up against those guys.”
But the Chiefs offense has played better during the playoffs. Mahomes completed 17 of 23 passes for 215 years and 2 touchdowns in a 27-24 road victory against the Bills in the AFC divisional round. Running back Isiah Pacheco rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown against Buffalo.
Both Jackson, 27, and Mahomes, 28, are in the prime of their careers. If Jackson wins the 2023 MVP, he and Mahomes will have accounted for four of the last six MVP awards. Now they’re playing for an opportunity to represent the AFC in Las Vegas.
Entering the league, Jackson and Mahomes both sat behind veteran quarterbacks before taking over the reins. In his second year in the league, and first as the Chiefs starter after learning from Alex Smith during his rookie season, Mahomes threw a league-high 50 touchdowns en route to his first MVP in 2018.
“He’s a great quarterback. Definitely a Hall of Famer,” Jackson said about Mahomes. “It’s a no-brainer, he’s definitely a Hall of Famer.”
Jackson was drafted with the final pick in the first round of the 2018 draft and sat behind Joe Flacco for eight weeks before becoming the starter. The following season, Jackson passed for 36 touchdowns and rushed for 1,206 yards.
The difference between Jackson and Mahomes is the narrative surrounding the two quarterbacks. Mahomes’ passing ability has never been questioned. But when Jackson came out of Louisville, some critics said he should change positions. But the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner remained determined to play quarterback professionally in the NFL and all of his hard work has certainly paid off.
Today is the chance for Jackson to finally show he deserves to be in the same class as Mahomes among the NFL’s elite quarterbacks.
The NFL is always looking for the next big QB rivalry. We’ve had Mahomes vs. Josh Allen and Mahomes vs. Joe Burrow. Mahomes against Jackson could be the best of the bunch.
“I believe it’s two greats, two up-and-coming greats going toe to toe like a heavyweight fight, heavyweight matchup, that’s what I see,” Jackson said.