Arrowhead Pride
Lamar Jackson is one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. He is a two-time NFL MVP, a three-time All-Pro and already has more rushing yards than any quarterback in league history.
But he has one slight problem: he and the Baltimore Ravens can’t seem to beat the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sunday was simply the latest example of his longstanding headache. As a starting quarterback, Jackson boasts a 74–32 record — but against Kansas City, he is now 1–6.
The Chiefs are a riddle the Ravens cannot solve. They are the villains who refuse to die.
But this time, it felt like it might be different. Kansas City was reeling from its worst start in more than a decade; there were serious questions on both offense and defense. Sure… Baltimore had injury concerns on defense — but this was still a team that was expected to be the class of the AFC. Las Vegas had listed the Ravens as a slight favorite in Kansas City, something that had only happened twice since Patrick Mahomes became the Chiefs’ starting quarterback.
And yet… the game looked eerily similar. Jackson finished with just 195 yards from scrimmage. He was sacked three times. His QBR for the matchup was 36.8. That’s a poor showing for any starting quarterback — let alone for one with the highest career passer rating in NFL history.
In seven games against Kansas City, Jackson has been sacked 18 times. Those sacks have cost Baltimore a total of 102 yards. He has fumbled six times and thrown four interceptions. Only once has he averaged more than 7.5 yards per pass attempt. Not surprisingly, that was the one matchup the Ravens won.
At this point, there is no denying it: for Jackson and the Ravens, the Chiefs have become what the New England Patriots were to Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in the early 2000s: Kryptonite.
Manning began his career 0–6 against Tom Brady and the Patriots before winning five of the next six contests against New England. But for most NFL fans, it was too little, too late. Manning is an all-time great, but his legacy still carries the stain of those early failures.
Jackson is also an all-time great. He is a special talent — one of the most unique players to ever play the game. But just as it was for Manning, his inability to beat the best of his era is a blemish on his résumé.
Sunday’s game was another reminder that Jackson’s issues against Steve Spagnuolo and the Kansas City defense are just part of the problem. These games have also reflected the greatness of Mahomes, who has played some of his best football against Baltimore.
Mahomes’ worst statistical performance in this series was arguably the 2024 playoff game — but even in that game, he remained in command. He seemed to know exactly what it would take to win, allowing him to keep the Ravens at arm’s length all the way to the final...
