On September 11, the NFL returns with the defending champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, taking on the Houston Texans.
While a very uncommon occurrence in the modern game, the Chiefs look set to challenge for the Super Bowl once again this year, with their greatest foe coming in the form of another young superstar-led unit from within the AFC.
Coming out of Pompano Beach, Florida, weighing in at 212lbs and standing 6’2’’, 23-year-old Lamar Jackson only has two full NFL seasons under his belt but is already a bona fide superstar QB.
Opposing him is the defending champion out of Tyler, Texas, who stands 6’3’’ and weighs-in at 230lbs. Patrick Mahomes proved his credentials last season, and the 24-year-old looks to do so again this year.
The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, led by hot-shot quarterbacks, look set to be the leading contenders for the Super Bowl and must-watch teams each week. Best of all, the two will meet in Baltimore on September 28, so we don’t need to wait long to see them go toe-to-toe.
In this all-star match-up of Jackson vs Mahomes in the 2020 NFL season, how do the two compare, who will come out on top in major honours, and who should you look to for your fantasy team?
Setting the stage in 2019
Jackson and Mahomes went toe-to-toe throughout the 2019 campaign, with the Baltimore stud snagging the AP Most Valuable Player award and the Chiefs’ talisman getting his hands on the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award.
Looking at the stats compiled by Stats Pro, in one fewer game, Mahomes landed 54 more completions on 83 more pass attempts than Jackson, snagging close to 900 more yards. However, Jackson’s completion rate was higher at 66.1 per cent. He also threw ten more passing touchdowns at 36, with a higher touchdown percentage of 9 per cent to 5.4 per cent.
Both are known for their footwork, but for very different reasons. Mahomes proved to be incredibly elusive in the pocket, able to escape encroachers and keep plays going long after they should. Jackson, however, puts himself into top gear, opting to rush 176 times last season to Mahomes’ 43 attempts. It resulted in the Baltimore QB getting 1,206 rushing yards and a cool seven rushing touchdowns to Mahomes’ two.
Going head-to-head in 2020
The Chiefs-Ravens conference rivalry has the potential to become one for the ages, both toting the right talents to reach dynasty status. This year, there’s next to nothing separating the two before opening night at Arrowhead Stadium.
Both teams come into the season with much of the same as last year, resulting in football betting sites like Space Casino putting the Chiefs and Ravens exactly even at +300 each to win the AFC Championship. However, Mahomes is given a slight edge in the Offensive Player of the Year ratings, sitting at +650 to Jackson’s +950.
No other team even comes close to the clubs of Jackson and Mahomes in the AFC rankings, with the Patriots, Steelers, and Colts way back in the odds. Over in the NFC, it’s the San Francisco 49ers who are leaned on to challenge one of these two exceptional young QBs in the Super Bowl.
Jackson vs Mahomes in fantasy football
To the decision that really matters for NFL fans: which QB do you pick and when? This decision is easily as difficult as picking which one will win major honours in 2020.
Projected stats, which you should always take with a fistful of salt, see Jackson edging Mahomes by about 20 points over the season. However, the consensus draft rankings from Fantasy Pros give the Chiefs’ signal-caller a slight edge. Mahomes sits 24th overall to Jackson’s 31st, with the two being clear ahead of the next QB (Dak Prescott at 55th).
The fact is that both Jackson and Mahomes are phenomenal talents, head and shoulders ahead of the other QBs in terms of fantasy value. As such, fantasy players used to seeing the QB rush begin in round five or six may need to re-evaluate, aiming to snag one of them in the third or even at the bottom of the second.
Jackson vs Mahomes looks to be an incredibly close battle, likely running as one of the headline stories of the 2020 NFL season.