Patrick Mahomes Totals 5 TDs as Chiefs Defeat Lamar Jackson, Ravens

This round goes to Patrick Mahomes.

The reigning Super Bowl MVP led the Kansas City Chiefs to a 34-20 victory over reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in Monday's showdown at M&T Bank Stadium.

The clash between arguably the top two players and top two teams in the league was an immediate headliner as soon as the NFL's 2020 schedule was announced, and Mahomes led the way in the potential AFC Championship Game preview. The result is a 3-0 record for the Chiefs and a one-game lead over the Las Vegas Raiders in the early AFC West race.

As for Baltimore, a solid rushing showing from Jackson was not enough to prevent a loss. The Ravens are now 2-1 and looking up at the 3-0 Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North.

Notable Player Stats

• Patrick Mahomes, QB, KC: 31-of-41 for 385 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INT; 4 carries for 26 yards and 1 TD
• Tyreek Hill, WR, KC: 5 catches for 77 yards and 1 TD
• Mecole Hardman, WR, KC: 4 catches for 81 yards and 1 TD
• Lamar Jackson, QB, BAL: 15-of-28 for 97 yards, 1 TD and 0 INT; 9 carries for 83 yards

Patrick Mahomes Is a Cheat Code

It doesn't get much better than Monday's matchup, especially in the regular season.

After all, Mahomes, 25, and Jackson, 23, are the current and future faces of the league who could battle each other as the top players in the league for more than a decade. Mahomes torches defenses with a flick of the wrist and is essentially unstoppable when he drops back to throw, while Jackson torments defenses with his arm at times but especially as an electrifying runner.

Jackson may be the more prolific runner, but it was Mahomes who found the end zone first with his legs to give the Chiefs an early lead. 

Frankly, it doesn't seem fair for Baltimore or any opponent that Mahomes is capable of taking off when the defense has to account for what he can do with his arm. And he reminded everyone of exactly what that is with an absolute show.

Mahomes found fullback Anthony Sherman with an underhanded throw for a touchdown, connected with Tyreek Hill on a perfectly placed ball over the top of the defense for another score and arched a beautiful rainbow right into the waiting arms of Mecole Hardman for his fourth touchdown of the first half.

Things got dicey in the fourth quarter thanks in large part to a missed extra point and field goal by Harrison Butker, a fumble by Darwin Thompson and a failed fourth-down attempt, but Mahomes and the Chiefs offense busted out the razzle-dazzle one more time with a play-action touchdown pass to offensive tackle Eric Fisher.

The Ravens may be the second-best team in all of football, and Mahomes was simply toying with them like a cat playing with a ball of yarn. It was a stunning reminder of how well the Chiefs are set up for years to come with Mahomes under center.

Lamar Jackson's Comeback Effort Comes Up Short Again

Jackson may be 23 years old and in just his third NFL season, but there are only a few holes in his game.

The biggest one was on display Monday.

As Tom Pelissero of NFL Network noted, the Ravens have never overcome a deficit of more than eight points with Jackson at quarterback. They are also 0-10 now when trailing at halftime following the latest loss.

For as explosive as he is in the open field as a runner, Jackson still isn't someone who can sit in the pocket play after play and pick apart a secondary. That is what a quarterback needs to do in comeback mode, especially since his running keeps the clock rolling.

It wasn't all his fault, as Mark Andrews dropped what would have been a surefire touchdown strike and a false start turned a 4th-and-2 in scoring position into a Justin Tucker field goal. The only saving grace for the Ravens through three quarters was a kickoff return touchdown from Devin Duvernay to remain within striking distance.

They climbed much closer than striking distance when Jackson finally broke through with his first touchdown on a pass to Nick Boyle to climb within seven points early in the fourth quarter, but he was competing against a historically great quarterback throwing touchdowns to his fullback and offensive tackle.

That's not exactly the formula for Jackson's first multiscore comeback of his career.

What's Next?

Both teams are in action in Week 4 when the Chiefs host the New England Patriots and the Ravens are at the Washington Football Team.