NFL defenses are used to adjusting to Patrick Mahomes, but the Baltimore Ravens made the five-time Pro-Bowl quarterback change his ways. Speaking on an edition of the “ManningCast” for ESPN, Kansas City Chiefs’ signal-caller Mahomes revealed all about an adjustment he had to make at M&T Bank Stadium.
Asked by Eli Manning if he ever uses non-verbal signals to communicate with his offensive line in loud venues, Mahomes admitted he’s only made two exceptions in a clip relayed by Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz.
The two-time league MVP said, “I’m mostly verbal. The one time I’ve been silent is in Baltimore and in Seattle, where I’ve had to, under center, kind of have to go verbal, or the signals to the offensive linemen. It was so loud in those stadiums that the tackles couldn’t hear me.”
It’s not often Mahomes is made to feel uncomfortable, but the Ravens and their rabid crowd have successfully taken the game’s best player out of his comfort zone. Their success is ironic, since M&T Bank Stadium has been anything but a fortress this season, with two of the Ravens’ three defeats occurring on home soil.
There’s also the not-so small matter of Mahomes owning a dominant record over the Ravens. The best way to change it is for the 7-3 Ravens to beat the 7-2 Chiefs to homefield advantage for the AFC playoffs.
Patrick Mahomes Has Dominated the Ravens
Mahomes is 3-1 against the Ravens, per StatMuse, but his last visit to Baltimore didn’t go so well. The Chiefs were beaten 36-35 at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 2 of the 2021 season.
He threw three touchdown passes, but also tossed this critical interception to Tavon Young.
INTERCEPTION @TY_Real1 ❗️❗️
Tune in on NBC!
Young’s pick helped the Ravens reel off 12 unanswered points, courtesy of two rushing touchdowns from Lamar Jackson. Unfortunately, this was as good as things have gotten for Jackson and the Ravens against Mahomes.
The latter has burned Baltimore’s D’ for 12 touchdown passes. One of the more notable plays in Mahomes’ career came inside the Ravens’ stadium in 2020, when he threw this underhanded, shovel pass to fullback Anthony Sherman for a score.
Mahomes with the underhand toss to Anthony Sherman! 😱
Touchdown, @Chiefs! #ChiefsKingdom
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The Chiefs won that game 34-20, and KC has owned the conference with Mahomes at the controls. Jackson and the Ravens are probably the strongest threat to more Chiefs dominance of the AFC this season.
Provided Baltimore can avoid any more annoying setbacks from winning positions at home.
Ravens Must Fix Home Issues to Topple Chiefs
Maintaining leads at home is a growing problem for the Ravens. It cost them against the Cleveland Browns in Week 10, when the Ravens let a 31-17 advantage disappear in the fourth quarter.
As numbers from Next Gen Stats show, the Ravens had a win probability of 96.7 percent when up by 14 over their division rivals. The Ravens also “had at least an 85% win probability” in defeats to the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Ravens win probability peaked at 96.7% when leading 31-17 early in the fourth quarter during their Week 10 loss to the Browns.
The Ravens have had at least an 85% win probability in all 3 of their losses this season.
Losing at home to the rebuilding Colts in overtime back in Week 3 was supposed to be an anomaly. Yet, the Ravens are making a habit of losing games they should win, a flaw likely to cost them in the race for conference supremacy.
Talent won’t be an issue. Not when Jackson is playing at a high level, the running game remains prolific and the defense is one of the toughest in football.
The Ravens have what they need to at least match the Chiefs. Including a superior contingent of wide receivers headlined by Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie Zay Flowers.
More than any player comparisons, the most important factor separating these two teams is likely to be who gets to play at home in January. Mahomes already knows he’ll be in for a challenge if the Chiefs have to make the trip to M&T Bank Stadium.
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Patrick Mahomes Reveals How the Ravens Forced Him to Change