The Kansas City Chiefs knocked off Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round, thwarting one dual-threat quarterback. Now they meet a badder boss in Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
Ahead of Sunday's AFC Championship Game, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked if his club could take anything away from how it handled Allen when facing Jackson.
"I would tell you, it's somewhat the same," he said on Monday, via the team's official transcript. "You have to stay in your lanes, you have to stay disciplined with any quarterback that runs. Lamar is special, he's fast and one of the faster guys on the field when it's all said and done and he's shifty. Where Josh will go right through you, he doesn't care, he's a big big man and probably equally as fast. He's a fast kid, he's run away from secondary players, you've seen that on tape. This kid (Jackson), he throws it well, he throws it on the move well, runs the ball well so we've just got to stay on top of that part of it throughout practice this week and then during the game."
Jackson led all quarterbacks with 821 rushing yards and five touchdowns in 2023. Showing more of a willingness to stick with the pass longer this season, it was the first time Jackson didn't break the 1,000-yard rushing barrier in a season he started more than 12 games.
Allen, meanwhile, used his legs heavily in the red zone, generating 15 rushing TDs (tied for most among QBs) and finished fourth at the position with 524 rushing yards.
In Sunday's Divisional Round win, the Chiefs allowed Allen to scamper for 72 yards on 12 attempts with two rushing scores.
Including two playoff tilts, K.C.'s defense has allowed 439 yards and six rushing scores to quarterbacks in 18 games. Their season high came in a meaningless Week 18 when Easton Stick gobbled up 77 rushing yards. Before that contest, the Chiefs hadn't allowed 50 rushing yards in a game to a QB, holding Justin Fields to 47 yards in Week 3, Allen to 32 yards in Week 14, and Jalen Hurts to 29 yards (but two TDs) in Week 11. Per Next Gen Stats, 39.6% of the Chiefs' rushing yards allowed to QBs and 33% of the TDs have come in the past three games.
The key to slowing Jackson on Sunday will be avoiding the explosive plays when the play breaks down. Jackson led all QBs with 527 rushing yards on 75 scrambles in 2023 with two TDs, earning 7.0 yards per carry. On designed runs, Jackson generated 302 yards and three TDs on 63 totes (4.8 yards per carry).
Jackson's increased willingness to keep his eyes downfield this season has made the Ravens' offense exponentially more potent. With defenses fearing his legs, the QB is able to buy time and find big plays in the passing game. Then, when needed, Jackson can always speed past any defender.
In their first three meetings against Jackson, the Chiefs did a stellar job on the QB, holding him to fewer than 85 rushing yards in each contest and one rushing score in three KC wins. But in the latest matchup, in Week 2, 2021, Lamar got loose for 107 rush yards and two scamper scores while throwing for 239 yards and a TD in a Ravens 36-35 win in Baltimore.
