“It’s Neck-and-Neck”: Patrick Mahomes on Facing Baltimore Ravens in 2024 NFL Opener

The Kansas City Chiefs are ruling in the AFC West division after clinching three Super Bowls in the last four years. Out of these, two were back-to-back titles. However, their rivalry with the Ravens remains a challenge despite having a 7-4 all-time record against them. As Kansas City strives for a three-peat in the 2024-2025 NFL season, their season opener on September 5 against Baltimore will be a test for them.

Recently, in an interview after the Chiefs’ preseason game against the Detroit Lions, Patrick Mahomes broke his silence on the upcoming opener against the Ravens. Looking back at their last clash, where Kansas City just barely beat Baltimore, Mahomes described the game as “neck and neck” noting,

“We were able to come out victorious at the end of last year. But we know it’s right there. So you got to focus on them first, the opponent that they are, and how hard of a game that’s going to be.”

Moreover, Mahomes also mentioned KC’s rivalry with Cincinnati and recognized that facing both the Ravens and Bengals at the start of the season is not easy–calling them “two of the best right out the gate.”

Following Cincinnati’s victory over the Chiefs in the 2022 AFC Championship Game, Kansas City responded with a win in the 2023 title clash. Thus, it makes sense why the upcoming game against the Bengals on September 16 is important for the Chiefs to settle some unfinished business.

Historically, the Chiefs have enjoyed success against the Ravens–winning four of their five meetings. On the other hand, their rivalry with the Bengals remains closely contested.

Learning from experience and playing in the league since 2017, Mahomes understands that these early games in the next month are crucial as they not only gauge how prepared the KC Chiefs are but could also affect their playoff positioning later in the season.

Having said that, back in January, Baltimore Ravens QB, Lamar Jackson admitted that going up against Patrick Mahomes is tough.

In January, the Kansas City Chiefs went up against the seeded Baltimore Ravens in an AFC Championship game. Despite Baltimore’s high ranking, Kansas City showed its strength by defeating the Miami Dolphins first and the Buffalo Bills second.

That is when Jackson acknowledged the challenge of playing against the reigning champions and specifically praised Mahomes by calling the 28-year-old a future Hall of Famer. While Jackson respects the 2017 NFL Draftee, he mentioned that competing against Patrick is something that he doesn’t like.

“I don’t like competing against [Patrick Mahomes] at all. But I believe [it’s] just two greats – up-and-coming greats – just going toe to toe, like a heavyweight fight [and] heavyweight matchup. That’s just what I see,” said the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner.

Well, the buzz from their 2023 AFC Championship faceoff has indeed piqued the excitement for the 2024 season opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens. With both teams and their respective fandoms eager to kick off this game, it surely sets the stage for what could be another year of fierce competition in the AFC.