By Branden Pierce, Staff Reporter
Viewers watched a Monday Night Football showdown between two of the NFL’s best teams and quarterbacks, on Sept. 28, 2020. The matchup included Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Both teams were coming off good 2019-2020 seasons, as both teams successfully made the playoffs, with the Kansas City Chiefs going all the way and winning the Super Bowl. Both quarterbacks had phenomenal seasons: Lamar Jackson winning his first-ever MVP and Patrick Mahomes winning MVP of the Super Bowl.
This matchup was the first and only time these two teams would get to meet during the regular season, and with both teams being highly favored as contenders this year, it only made the meeting that much more exciting yet, important.
The Ravens started fastly at the start of the competition, putting together a pretty decent drive, but it only led to a field goal. However, their momentum quickly dwindled as they struggled to score on the offensive end for the rest of the game. On the other side of the ball, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs were rolling all game as Patrick Mahomes put on another offensive show.
Demonstrating spectacular throws, running around dodging defenders, throwing pinpoint passes — Patrick Mahomes was neither picked nor sacked all game.
He finished the game by throwing 31 of 42 for 385 yards, 4 TDs, and running for 1 TD.
Baltimore Ravens Defensive Coordinator, Calais Campbell, told ESPN stated after the game, “They don’t give that guy half a billion dollars for no reason”, referring to Mahomes’ recent contract that made him the highest-paid player in the NFL, with a 10-year $503 million contract extension.
The Ravens went into halftime down 27 points to 10 points with their only touchdown coming from a kickoff return. Even with the top 5 ranked defense in the league, the Ravens still had no answer for Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Reigning MVP Lamar Jackson struggled throughout the game, throwing for 97 yards, with a 15 of 28 completion ratio, while running for another 83 yards. The Kansas City Chiefs, who are not known for having a top tier defense, were able to keep Lamar in check all game.
The game ended with Kansas City Chiefs defeating the Baltimore Ravens 34-20. The loss gave the Ravens a 2-1 record and second-place standing in their division behind the Pittsburgh Steelers. This win kept the Chiefs at first-place in their division, boasting a 3-0 record. This game marked the third time Lamar Jackson had played Mahomes and the Chiefs in his career, leaving him with an 0-3 record against Mahomes. Even with Lamar being 21-1 against the rest of the NFL during the regular season, it seems like the Chiefs might be his kryptonite.
Lamar was asked after the game what he thought about Patrick Mahomes’ performance, and in one word, he answered, “Outstanding,” according to ESPN.
Although Mahomes did get the best of Lamar again this time, we can only hope and figure that this will not be the last time these two teams faceoff.
A playoff matchup between these two teams would be one for the ages with two young quarterbacks and both MVP winners. Viewers could be looking at a future rivalry in the making.
