Ravens preparing for ‘magic’ of Patrick Mahomes originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Marlon Humphrey has seen the magic of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes up close. It just didn’t look like it was headed in Humphrey's direction.
In 2018, Mahomes threw his famed no-look pass against the Ravens. The pass was completed with Humphrey in coverage.
“He actually completed that no look pass on me that started that whole journey,” Humphrey said Wednesday. “I’ve seen that clip so many times on social media. It always seems to come up somewhere.”
Two years later, not much has changed with Mahomes. He’s still completing absurd passes and is regarded as one of, if not the best, quarterback in the league.
The big difference now, though, is that Mahomes’ biggest competition for that title might be Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Now, a clash is set for next Monday at M&T Bank Stadium between the unbeaten Chiefs and Ravens. More accurately, though, it's being billed as a matchup of the last two league MVPs.
“With those two teams, I think when the NFL is putting out the schedule, I think they’ll always find a way to keep these two teams going at each other,” Humphrey said. “With these two quarterbacks on the field, it’s magic on both sides. I see every week what Lamar can do, and I always see some highlight or something of what Mahomes can do. When you’ve got two superstar quarterbacks like that, it’s always going to be a fun game.”
Mahomes, now in his fourth season in the league, is 26-7 as a starter. He threw for 4,031 yards last year in 14 games, along with 26 touchdowns and five interceptions. A year prior, the year he won the MVP award, he threw for 50 touchdowns and 5,097 yards.
He’s got one of the strongest arms in the league, made even more deadly when he escapes the pocket. His running ability is one that defenses still have to account for, but on the move, Mahomes might be the best passer in the league.
“Mahomes, as good as he is in the pocket, he’s just as good, probably better outside the pocket, which is probably the craziest thing about his game,” Humphrey said. “So preparing for him, it’s really tough. You can’t really say any team has been able to just stop him completely...He’s never really out of the game until they lose the game, and they don’t lose too many.”
If that weren’t enough, Mahomes has first-round running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire now in the backfield to pair with, essentially, a track team on the outside with wideouts Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman and Demarcus Robinson. Then with Travis Kelce, one of the game’s best tight ends, as the leading receiver, there’s a massive amount of firepower in Kansas City’s offense.
Now, it’s up to the Ravens to slow Mahomes and his talented group down. This time, there’s no faking anyone out.
“He’s a defending champ,” coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “He’s just been phenomenal in his first three years in the National Football League. We’ve seen it up-close and personal in 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.”
