OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Heading into Sunday night's showdown, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson downplayed his winless record against Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Jackson is 0-3 against Mahomes -- losing to him in each of the past three seasons -- while going 30-5 (.857) against the rest of the NFL. This marks the fifth instance in the past 25 years of one NFL MVP quarterback losing his first three starts opposite another MVP quarterback, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
"It's not about me and Mahomes," Jackson said after Wednesday's practice. "Not to me, probably to everyone else. But it's the Ravens versus the Kansas City Chiefs."
Mahomes won the NFL MVP in 2018, and Jackson followed that up in 2019 by becoming the league's second unanimous selection. The only quarterbacks to lose their first four starts against another MVP quarterback were Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan. Both did so against Tom Brady.
Jackson is tied with Ryan for the worst win percentage in head-to-head matchups of NFL MVP quarterbacks with at least three such starts. Ryan, who is 0-5 against Brady, faces the seven-time Super Bowl champ again when the Atlanta Falcons visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
In last season's 34-20 loss to the Chiefs, Jackson threw for a career-worst 97 yards. Afterward, he called Kansas City "our kryptonite."
"They did beat us three times or whatever, but that's in the past," Jackson said Wednesday. "I'm not dwelling on those losses. We're coming in Sunday night and we're going to play."
Ravens wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who has played with Mahomes and Jackson, was asked Thursday whether these quarterbacks see this as a personal rivalry.
"I think those guys definitely view it that way," Watkins said Thursday. "You can say you're not, but the world is watching two of the best -- the youngest MVPs in the league. I'm definitely looking at it that way like, 'Man, Lamar needs to win.' He's been doing a great job in this league with how he's carrying himself ... I just think it's time for him to take that next hump and try to get a win."
In three games against the Chiefs, Jackson has completed 52.6% of his throws, averaging 170.3 yards passing per game. He has thrown for three touchdowns with no interceptions for a 78.8 rating.
In 35 games against the rest of the NFL, Jackson has connected on 65.3% of his passes, averaging 192 yards passing each game. He has recorded 65 touchdown passes and 18 interceptions for a 104.97 rating.
Baltimore Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey acknowledged that the Chiefs have had the Ravens' number recently.
"The way you go about changing it is addressing it how it is: looking at it head-on and go into the game and just try to beat them," Humphrey said. "It's a great opportunity for us to go out there Sunday night and show we belong on the field with them."