Patrick Mahomes outduels Lamar Jackson in spectacular fashion in Chiefs win

The much-hyped matchup between Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson was utterly dominated by the Chiefs quarterback.

Monday Night Football. The undefeated Kansas City Chiefs against the undefeated Baltimore Ravens. The 2018 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes versus the 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. Could anyone ask for anything more?

Well, Ravens fans would have asked for a much better showing from their star quarterback as he fell flat against the Super Bowl Champions.

Mahomes, on the other hand, looked like a Super Bowl and league MVP.

Patrick Mahomes put up massive stats not matched by Lamar Jackson.

Mahomes was incredible for the Chiefs against the Ravens. Baltimore blitzed all night and barely disrupted the Chiefs’ high-octane offense at all.

Kansas City put up 517 yards of total offense while the Ravens mustered only 228, including a meager 70 passing yards. The Chiefs tallied 29 first downs compared to 16 for the Ravens.

Most telling, however, was how efficient the Chiefs were on third down, converting on 10 of 13 opportunities while the Ravens managed to convert only three of their nine third-down tries.

Head-to-head, Mahomes’ performance was stellar compared to Jackson’s.

• Passing – Mahomes – 31/42, 385 yards, four touchdowns; Jackson – 15/28, 97 yards, one touchdown
• Rushing – Mahomes – four carries for 26 yards, one touchdown; Jackson – nine carries, 83 yards
• Total passing and rushing – Mahomes – 411 yards, five touchdowns; Jackson – 180 yards, one touchdown

Jackson had several big runs, averaging over nine yards a tote. He’s certainly a weapon when it comes to running, and he might be a bit underrated as a passer, but not in this game.

Mahomes handled constant pressure with aplomb and got rid of the ball quickly when he needed to, or he bought time with rollouts. He wasn’t sacked at all. The Chiefs recorded four sacks on Jackson, despite his ability to make things happen with his legs.

These performances weren’t far off those from last season’s matchup, when Mahomes passed for 374 yards and three scores, while Jackson threw for 267 yards on 43 attempts and no touchdowns. The Chiefs won that one, 33-28.

This pattern started in 2018, in their first head-to-head confrontation. In that game, Mahomes put up 377 yards passing with two touchdowns while the Ravens quarterback notched just 147 yards, though he did have two touchdowns as well. The Chiefs took that game as well, 27-24.

Quarterbacks do not win or lose games by themselves, but a pattern has developed over the course of three meetings where Patrick Mahomes has far surpassed Lamar Jackson in their performances, and the Chiefs are 3-0 in those matchups.

That sort of thing can lead to a mental advantage for Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs going into future tilts between these two powerhouses. Do not doubt that the Ravens are a terrific team, and Jackson is a fantastic, dangerous quarterback. Both of those statements are true.

There are going to be a lot of clashes between these two AFC titans in the future, and the Chiefs won’t be able to win them all. The Chiefs and Mahomes have separated themselves from the Ravens and Jackson so far in the developing rivalry. The longer that status quo remains, the harder it will be for the Ravens to overcome it.