Why Chiefs-Ravens is the best game of the NFL season
By Dustin Baker
5. Lamar Jackson needs a win vs. the Chiefs
A win won’t necessarily be career-altering for Jackson should he grab one tonight, but it will prevent him from falling to an 0-3 career record against the Chiefs. Jackson promises to have a lengthy career ahead of him, so these early Chiefs meetings are merely opening credits to a saga-like motion picture.
As it stands, Jackson has faced the Chiefs twice and is winless. In 2018, he and the Ravens were dropped by the Chiefs 27-24 in overtime at Kansas City. The following season, they lost again at Arrowhead Stadium, 33-28. This time the festivities will take place in Jackson’s house, and there’s a tangible feeling it could be the difference-maker.
So far, though, Kansas City has done an admirable job pacifying Jackson’s herculean tendencies. In the two games vs. the Chiefs, Jackson has recorded a cumulative 81.3 passer rating. This isn’t a rotten number, but it is substantially lower than his typical output. Jackson’s career passer rating is 107.1, which is a colossal figure. It also makes the 26-point dip vs. a Patrick Mahomes-led team all the more head-scratching.
To tread water in the head-to-head matchup and avoid the reputation of a man that can’t solve the Chiefs, Jackson needs a win tonight.