National Football League

Can Lamar Jackson, Ravens make statement against Mahomes, Chiefs in Week 2?

Updated Sep. 19, 2021 1:34 p.m. ET

The stage is set for a superstar showdown on Sunday.

After a thrilling, come-from-behind home victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, the Kansas City Chiefs head to Baltimore, where the Ravens will look to secure their first win of the season after falling to the Las Vegas Raiders in overtime on Monday night.

The Ravens have suffered an unprecedented amount of early season injuries, including to first-round draft pick Rashod Bateman and fellow receiver Miles Boykin, running backs J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, star cornerback Marcus Peters, defensive end Derek Wolfe, and, most recently, guard Tyre Phillips.

Still, the Ravens nearly beat the Raiders in Week 1. Lamar Jackson threw for 321 yards and led Baltimore in rushing with 86 yards on 12 carries, but Baltimore ultimately unraveled in the final frame, including two late fumbles by Jackson.

It was a different story for the Chiefs, who played a championship-caliber second half, scoring 23 of their total 33 points in the final 30 minutes after trailing the Browns by 12 at halftime.

The Chiefs are now 15-0 in their past 15 September games, and Patrick Mahomes is 11-0 in his career in September starts, registering 3,641 passing yards, 35 pass TDs and zero interceptions.

Can Jackson and the Ravens make a statement against Mahomes and the Chiefs on Sunday? If so, what will it take?

On Thursday's "Undisputed," Shannon Sharpe explained why he doesn't think there's much hope for Baltimore to pull off an upset, saying that the Ravens are facing too much adversity, too soon.

"I'm worried about that defense. Derek Carr threw for 435 yards and he ain't got not one weapon on the offense other than [Darren] Waller. Can you imagine what Tyreek [Hill]'s gonna do? Travis Kelce? … I’m worried about Lamar Jackson’s offensive line. … [Alejandro] Villanueva?! The Statue of Liberty moves better than Villanueva."

In his young career, Jackson is 0-3 against Mahomes — and 30-5 (.857) against the other 30 NFL teams. It's just the fifth time in the past 25 years that one NFL MVP quarterback lost his first three starts opposite another MVP quarterback, according to ESPN.

"The Kansas City Chiefs are a better football team than the Baltimore Ravens," Sharpe added. "We already know Patrick is a better quarterback. Lamar Jackson is gonna have to have the game of his life, and that defense is gonna have to have to play 1,000 percent better than what we saw on Monday night."

"Lamar Jackson has never had a better team than the Chiefs" — Shannon Sharpe speaks on Mahomes vs. Lamar rivalry I UNDISPUTED

Hear what Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe have to say about the Mahomes vs. Jackson rivalry.

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On the other side of the debate, Skip Bayless believes the Ravens have a chance to upset the Chiefs — if Jackson can avoid turning over the ball. He fumbled three times on Monday, recovering just one.

"What I love the most about Lamar Jackson as a football player is how hard he competes, but he still has to learn … to channel it. You have to control it, you have to stay in charge of your own rage, your competitive nature, where you clean it up to where you can't fumble the football.

"The runs he made in the fourth quarter [on Monday] … they took my breath away. Nobody can do that."

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Running with the ball is not only Jackson's thing; it's a Ravens thing.

After leading the NFL in rushing in each of the past two seasons, the Ravens led the league in rushing in Week 1 with 189 yards, marking the 40th consecutive regular-season game in which Baltimore has rushed for 100-plus yards — the second-longest streak in NFL history.

But Sharpe doesn't think that ground attack will be enough.

"Lamar Jackson can rush for 1,500 yards," Sharpe said. "He's not running the Ravens to a championship running the football."

When speaking to reporters on Wednesday after practice, Jackson said that Sunday's matchup is about the two teams lining up against one another – not any individual player on the field.

Regardless of Jackson's humility, every time two superstar QBs take the field, they will be the focus.

And there are few superstars in the league like Mahomes and Jackson.

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