OWINGS MILLS, Md. — It is conference championship week for the Ravens. The only thing standing between them and Super Bowl 58 are the defending Super Bowl champs, the Kansas City Chiefs.
There is no doubt the headline matchup in this Sunday's AFC title game is the quarterback battle. Lamar Jackson, the favorite to win his second NFL Most Valuable Player, leads the Ravens against Patrick Mahomes, a two-time regular-season MVP and two-time Super Bowl MVP.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh knows the path to the Ravens’ third Super Bowl trip in franchise history and first in eleven years starts with limiting Mahomes and his, shall we say, insect-like ability.
"He’s just got great pocket presence. I think he sees the field and he feels the pocket. He must have antennae that he just kind of senses all of that," said Harbaugh on Monday. "Like your car, you know it’s got all those sensors that start beeping when guys get close? It must be that way for him because he kind of senses the pressure and he is able to just move around and get away but get his eyes downfield, slip out, all those kind of things. It’s what he does."
On the other sideline Chiefs head coach Andy Reid praised Jackson on Monday. No bug-like references included.
"Lamar is special. He is fast and one of the faster guys on the field. He throws it well. He throws on the move well. He runs the ball well. So, we just got to stay on top of that part of it throughout practice this week and then during the game," said Reid.
The Ravens and Chiefs have played four times with Lamar and Mahomes on the field. The Chiefs won three of those games. The two QB's have never met in the playoffs.
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