In reaction to Patrick Mahomes, the Ravens declared, “It’s about us, forever and ever.”

Maryland’s OWINGS MILLS In his 16 playoff starts, Patrick Mahomes has amassed the following noteworthy stats: a completion percentage of 66.8, 4,561 yards, 38 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He would be a strong contender for MVP if he maintained those stats over the whole regular season. Even though it was over his six years as the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs—even though the majority of those games were played at home—it jumps off the page that he only accomplished this against playoff teams during the most important time of the season.

Unquestionably a Hall of Famer,” Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, his opponent in this week’s AFC championship game, remarked. “It seems obvious.”

Can someone who is only 28 years old have that coronation made by a modern person? Now take a look at the list of quarterbacks who have had a regular season that is comparable to Mahomes’s postseason history: at least 4,500 passing yards, 35 touchdowns or more, and a maximum of seven interceptions.

These are Mahomes in 2020, Matt Ryan in 2016 and ’18, Aaron Rodgers in 2011 and so on.

Stated differently, only two players not named Mahomes have ever had a season that even remotely resembled Mahomes’s record in the postseason – against both contenders and also-rans.

Unquestionably a Hall of Famer. It will be his sixth AFC championship game on Sunday, only six seasons into his starting career. Tom Brady is the only player with such a streak, having won eight consecutive conference titles between the 2011 and 2018 seasons. And that wasn’t to be Brady’s debut.

The player who has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in exactly one postseason game, who hasn’t thrown an interception in the last two postseasons, who has been sacked in one of his last five postseason games, and who has a 113.3 passer rating in his last three postseasons—a span in which his touchdown-to-interception ratio is 21-to-3—is all the Ravens need to have in order to make it to the Super Bowl.

Oh, and he has 104 yards of rushes on 14 carries in his last three playoff games.

Coach John Harbaugh of the Ravens stated, “It’s pretty hard to pick the biggest challenge vs. Patrick Mahomes.” “I believe it’s everything he does, the whole package.”

The good news for Baltimore is that Mahomes will handle every aspect of the defense, including its whole. That is not insignificant.

To be clear, Mahomes is not the same player he was in the playoffs in 2023 as he was in previous seasons. Over his six years as a starter, Mahomes has never thrown for less than 261.4 yards per game, 7.0 yards per attempt, 10.4 yards per completion, or 14 interceptions. His career-lowest passer rating was recorded by him.

He doesn’t exactly have the same arsenal of weapons as he once did, and the Chiefs suffered a season-long, team-wide case of the drops. (Hi, Hill Tyreek.) It is simple to attribute Kansas City’s comeback to the effectiveness of their offense and quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ special talent since for more than five years, that has been both the case and the expectation.

However, the reality remains that the Chiefs defense finished seventh in yards allowed per play and second in yards allowed, sacks created, and percentage of opponents’ drives that resulted in a touchdown. Mahomes remains the focal point. Because he received assistance on the opposing side of the ball, he is here.

All of this adds intrigue to Sunday’s game in Baltimore. The Ravens, who are ranked first, are the unusual favorites over Mahomes in the postseason. Despite playing a historically skilled opponent, they have some swagger.

The Ravens are a seething, swarming mass of athleticism and speed on defense, and they know it, which is why they can say and do such things. On its starting defense, Baltimore boasts five first-round picks (though Marlon Humphrey, a cornerback, might not play due to an injury). There’s earned confidence mixed in with that obvious talent. The Ravens have the performances to support their belief that their destiny is their own, always and forever, rather than that of Mahomes.