Ravens' Harbaugh calls stopping Mahomes 'a big challenge'
The reigning NFL MVP will take on the reigning Super Bowl MVP when the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs clash Monday night in arguably the marquee matchup of the season so far.
Patrick Mahomes already possesses two regular-season wins over Lamar Jackson, and Ravens head coach John Harbaugh knows it will be three unless his team can limit the star quarterback and the Chiefs' electric offense.
"He's just been phenomenal in his first three years in the National Football League," Harbaugh said Wednesday, per Clifton Brown of the Ravens' official site. "We've seen it up-close and personal on two different occasions - at their place the last two years - where he's made some just tremendous plays that have really, in the end, beaten us. So, we have to find a way to stop him and all those weapons they've got. It's going to be a big challenge."
The Mahomes-led Chiefs took down the Ravens 27-24 in Week 14 of the 2018 season before earning a 33-28 victory in Week 3 last season. Mahomes outplayed Jackson in both matchups, throwing a combined 751 yards and five touchdowns with just one interception.
The previous games were in Kansas City, but Baltimore will have the home-field advantage for Week 3.
The Chiefs and Ravens are both undefeated through two weeks and look primed to again challenge for AFC dominance. Although the season is still young, the outcome of this game could be crucial in determining the conference's playoff seedings.
Harbaugh is embracing the hype rather than try and minimize the matchup's importance.
"I don't think you can ignore it. You can't sit there and pretend. Every game is important, they all count for wins, and you don't want to mess up one that the fans or somebody else might not think is important," said Harbaugh.
"But who wouldn't get excited for a game like this? When you're playing a team that is the defending champs, the favorites to win the whole thing again - going forward - the type of players they have, the coaches they have? You're going to get excited about it. It's not something that we downplay. We don't ignore it. We try to embrace it and make the most of it."