Lamar Jackson Focus: Beating Patrick Mahomes, Says Stephen A. Smith

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith has not remained silent regarding the discussions about the Baltimore Ravens quarterback. After all, he is not afraid to turn the tables on public opinion. He believes that Jackson’s biggest obstacle is not the necessity of winning a Super Bowl but defeating Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.

Some detractors critique Jackson and his playstyle, calling him an athlete who chokes under pressure and overuses his athleticism at the expense of his quarterbacking skills. At the same time, Smith aims to be a foe, or at least he sees Mahomes as Jackson’s most significant barrier.

Smith stressed this opinion on one of the programs: “Why can’t you finish this task when faced with this brother?” Smith interrogated. “We have witnessed you do it against all the foes. It is no longer about qualifying for playoff games or the Super Bowl, even if it is about one person over and over blocking your path.

And that is Patrick Mahomes."

Mahomes: Jackson Obstacle

It is interesting to note that for Jackson, Mahomes has become the maximum mountain to which the quarterback has to climb, and this goal, more often than not, is more important than the Ravens franchise’s success during the playoffs or even winning the Super Bowl.

Smith's intentions, as usual, were furious as this is his preferred communication method, but it connects with the troublesome problem that concerns Jackson amid a convergence of forces of intimidating quarterbacks of the AFC.

While Jackson has always been one of the best players during the regular season, special attention is paid to his postseason failure. However, the perception that ‘it’ is only about meeting each other might be missing something.

While Smith himself agrees it is not just a Jackson versus Mahomes affair, other elite quarterbacks, such as Josh Allen or Joe Burrow, would also create issues. Despite Smith’s emphasis on the Jackson-Mahomes rivalry, the NFL is a team sport.

Quarterbacks never face each other directly on the field, making these one-on-one comparisons somewhat simplistic. Football is played 11-on-11, and individual matchups between quarterbacks are largely hypothetical.