Patrick Mahomes vs. Lamar Jackson: Is the Ravens’ QB the real toughest rival for Chiefs’ champ?

Only one round of playoff football stands between the NFL’s final four contenders and a trip to Super Bowl LVIII, which will kick off Feb. 11 on CBS, Nickelodeon and Paramount+. Two of the league’s top quarterbacks, meanwhile, will go head-to-head in the AFC Championship, with the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson headlining a marquee matchup of conference heavyweights.

How did the star signal-callers get to this point? Who has the advantage going into the AFC title game? Here’s a full breakdown:

The basics

How are the QBs built? How did their careers begin? And how do they play the game? Let’s take a look:

Patrick Mahomes

Chiefs

28

7th

6-2, 225

Texas Tech

2017 draft (1.10)

Lamar Jackson

Ravens

27

6th

6-2, 215

Louisville

2018 draft (1.32)

Mahomes and Jackson entered the NFL within a year of each other, both widely viewed as dynamic but unpolished projects upon arrival. Neither QB necessarily possesses prototypical height for the position, and yet both have compensated for that shortcoming with unmatched athleticism, quickly emerging as premier playmakers.

Mahomes, who threw a league-leading 50 touchdowns in his first season as a starter, often appears as if he’s playing another sport entirely, pairing unpredictable arm angles with a knack for clutch and creative decision-making. His unique brand of reliable off-script heroism has put him on a Hall of Fame trajectory before the age of 30, making him the heart of an aspiring dynasty.

Jackson’s physical tools rival those of Mahomes, as evidenced by a Year 2 breakout that included 36 passing TDs and 1,200 rushing yards. Like his Chiefs counterpart, he won NFL MVP in his first year as a starter. He’s been banged up more, with dips in passing efficiency, but at peak speed, with an effortless rocket of an arm, he’s arguably the NFL’s top dual threat.

Both QBs notably had the benefit of joining established organizations to start…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/patrick-mahomes-vs-lamar-jackson-is-the-ravens-qb-the-real-toughest-rival-for-chiefs-champ/

Author : Cody Benjamin

Publish date : 2024-01-25 20:01:22

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