Ravens Key Showdown Hyped as One of 2020’s Best Games

Matt Judon

Getty Matt Judon sacks Patrick Mahomes in 2019.

The Baltimore Ravens have a schedule worth watching this coming season full of fantastic games, but one of the biggest might just be one of the best the entire league has to offer.

Recently, the folks at Good Morning Football took a stab at naming the 7 games they were most excited to see on the 2020 schedule. Coming in at No. 4 was the Ravens battle with the Kansas City Chiefs early in the season in Week 3. According to Peter Schrager, that is must see television for anyone who loves football.

Schrager said:

“2 faces of the league right now if you ask me, it’s Lamar Jackson and it’s Patrick Mahomes and I appreciate Deshaun Watson, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, but it’s a futures game right now. We’ll see these 2 guys going at it Week 3 on Monday Night Football, I cannot wait for it. The NFL, all the broadcast partners put in their dibs for what games they want, it’s a big summit meeting. ESPN said our No. 1 game we want is going to be Kansas City-Baltimore, we’d love to see that on Monday Night Football. It made news that ESPN was given this game over CBS, which is also an AFC partner. So to me, this is the game that all the networks wanted, it’s the game that we the fans want. There’s a revenge factor here. Lamar Jackson has never beaten the Chiefs, he’s 0-2 in his career. Let’s see if he can get one, this one’s at home. Remember, it’s the MVP vs. the Super Bowl MVP. It’s on Monday night, Week 3, let’s go.”

This is a blossoming rivalry between the teams and the sides, one that many believe will culminate in a potential AFC Championship match soon. The hope is that it happens starting this season, but until then, fans will merely have to whet their appetites with this game.

It figures to be a good one when all is said and done, and one of the top games of the entire slate this coming season.


Colin Cowherd Taking Patrick Mahomes Over Lamar Jackson

According to Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports, the answer is yes, and it’s Mahomes. After watching the Super Bowl, Cowherd made a proclamation about where the Baltimore Ravens‘ quarterback stands against the Chiefs’ signal caller.

“I’d still take Patrick Mahomes the next 10 years. I think there’s a gap between Mahomes and Lamar Jackson,” Cowherd said. “When Lamar Jackson trails late in games, he gets further away from what makes him special; the feet. When Patrick Mahomes trails late, he leans into his greatest talent, throwing the ball.”

As Cowherd continued, Mahomes is never out of a game, something which showed up in the Super Bowl which is different than Jackson.

“There’s no formula with Patrick Mahomes. He can trail by 21 late, it doesn’t matter. That’s the gap between Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, and it’s no shot at Jackson. You saw the gap. You felt the gap,” he said. “Even the Baltimore coaches first half against Tennessee’s low wattage offense, when Baltimore trailed first half, you could sense the Baltimore coaches’ panic. In the Super Bowl, there was never any panic. That’s the gap. That’s the difference. Not all MVP’s are flawless.”

Cowherd believes that Jackson has conditions to be able to win games, while Mahomes doesn’t.

“As long as he gets the ball, he’ll win. I don’t feel that way with Lamar,” he said. “I feel there’s a certain style and the game has to work a certain way and Lamar needs a running game. He’s better playing with a lead, playing downhill. Don’t want him trailing by 2 touchdowns with 6 minutes left. I thought you saw a gap there.”

As always, it’s easy to judge these things in an immediate vacuum but likely, the only thing needed to completely judge this is time.


Analyst Predicts Patrick Mahomes-Lamar Jackson Rivalry

In Mahomes vs. Jackson, the league could have its new top rivalry for years to come. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press even goes so far as to say it could become this generation’s Brady vs. Manning.

Mahomes has made back to back AFC Championship game appearances, while Jackson has been knocked out of the playoffs the last pair of seasons. Mahomes won last year’s MVP award, and Jackson could very likely be on track to do the same this season. Both play a different game than Brady and Manning, which could only figure to shake things up further for the league in terms of style and competition.

All of that could set up a fantastic rivalry for football fans for a long time, and another installment will come this season and be one of the best games in the entire league.

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