Lamar Jackson needs to beat Patrick Mahomes in Round 3 of their rivalry

Both Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes want to win their matchup on Monday Night Football, but Jackson is the player who needs the victory.

Lamar Jackson’s stellar play during the 2019 NFL season was enough to earn him an MVP Trophy. Patrick Mahomes may have fallen short of that individual plateau, but his play helped his team secure a Lombardi Trophy.

That’s why this week’s edition of Monday Night Football is a much more important game for Jackson.

It would be hyperbole to call it a “must-win” game for either signal-caller. Jackson and Mahomes are arguably the top two quarterbacks in the NFL. The quality of their individual play and their teams could set this up to be a generational rivalry which dominates the league for years to come.

The record for Jackson against Mahomes to date isn’t good for the former Louisville Cardinals star. The two matched up twice previously and the Chiefs emerged victorious in both contests. Mahomes lit up the Ravens secondary to the tune of 751 yards and five touchdowns. Jackson’s numbers were much more mediocre.

He only managed to throw for 414 yards in the two games. More concerning is how inaccurate he’s been with the football against Kansas City. His completion percentage of 52.2% against the Chiefs is his lowest total against any team. It’s worth mentioning that he’s also rushed for 113 yards combined in the two games, but that hasn’t been enough to earn his team a victory.

Jackson’s previous struggles against Kansas City make it clear he needs this game more than Mahomes. He still has questions to answer about whether or not his style of play can lead the Ravens to the promised land of a Super Bowl title. Mahomes silenced any doubts about his ability to do that last year.

Interestingly, Baltimore will come into this game as a solid favorite. Playing at home works in their favor, but it’s less important than ever given the reduced capacity of stadiums at the moment. Even so, the Ravens are currently 3.5-point favorites heading into the game.

That isn’t necessarily a reflection of anyone’s belief that Jackson will outgun Mahomes. The Ravens have more defensive talent than their counterparts in Kansas City. That gives Jackson a unique opportunity to win his one-on-one matchup with Mahomes.

The similarity between the two quarterbacks is in their greatness. Stylistically, there’s a lot to separate the duo. Jackson’s passing game is more polished than many fans seem to believe, but it’s still a work in progress. There’s no doubt he can make big plays down the field via play action or over the top of opposing secondaries when he’s permitted to scramble past onrushing defenders.

Jackson can improve in his ability to make the precise, intermediate throws required to win against defenses even when they know the pass is coming. Chances are Baltimore will need to come from behind to win a playoff game at some point. They need to be able to count on Jackson to lead them on that type of crucial drive even when the run game is taken away from them.

That ground game will be a big focus for the Ravens on Monday night. They want to put pressure on Kansas City’s defense by establishing their ability to run up the middle. Once that happens, the floodgates really open up for Jackson and his skill position players. Runs to the edge and play action passes based on that inside running game are this offense’s bread and butter.

Ironically, Jackson won’t really answer any questions about his game if the Ravens find a way to overwhelm the Chiefs’ defense and win this game handily. The only way he can truly silence some doubters is if he’s required to make plays with his arm to win this game in the second half.

Don’t bet against him if he’s put in that position. Jackson is on fire through the air on the young season. He’s completing 77.6% of his passes and is averaging just under 10 yards per attempt. The lesson here is that Jackson isn’t just dumping the ball off to running backs and tight ends. He’s pushing the ball down the field with devastating effectiveness.

This season may be a small sample size, but watching Jackson on film makes it obvious that his progression is real. Round 3 of his matchup with Mahomes might be too early for him to show off everything in his new bag of tricks, but it’s important for him to play well in his primetime matchup with the NFL’s best quarterback.

Jackson can’t silence all of his doubters in the regular season, but Monday night’s game against Mahomes and the Chiefs represents the biggest opportunity he’ll ever have outside the playoffs.