Strap in, folks — we’re about to witness a collision course between the NFL’s past, present, and future. In one corner, you got Patrick Mahomes‘ Kansas City Chiefs dynasty clashing with Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens. But don’t sleep on the new kid on the block, CJ Stroud, and those upstart Houston Texans were supposed to be Mahomes’ kryptonite… until they got put on ice.

It was analyst Emmanuel Acho dropping truth bombs on the latest episode of SPEAK, releasing his bold AFC power rankings. At the No. 2 spot, behind only the Chiefs? You guessed it — Stroud’s revamped Texans squad, fresh off adding stars like Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon. It’s a monster move, considering Houston was picked in the top 5 of last year’s draft.

But not everyone’s buying that Texans hype just yet. “Texas is definitely not number two in the AFC,” former NFL linebacker James Jones emphatically stated on the broadcast. His main gripe? Disrespecting Lamar’s proven playoff prowess and a Ravens core that’s now added bulldozer back Derrick Henry. “Out of respect, Lamar Jackson would have been at two.”

Jones has a point — while Stroud’s rookie of the year campaign was straight video game numbers, Jackson is a bona fide been-there, done-that vet. Just last postseason, Lamar ball-hawked his way to the divisional round with a historic 4 TD, 200/100-yard performance, demolishing the Texans. You could hear Odell Beckham Jr. telling on the hot mic to Jackson, “We gotta get some sh*t goin’ on” after the Ravens’ offense stalled against KC.

So, in reality, Stroud and those hyped-up Texans haven’t yet proven anything in the biggest stages, unlike Jackson’s Ravens, who have consistently been a thorn in Mahomes’ side despite coming up short of that elusive Lombardi.

Lamar’s career-defining gauntlet against Patrick Mahomes!

Make no mistake: Lamar still has demons to exorcise against the Chiefs juggernaut. Despite Jackson’s gaudy career numbers with 125 total TDs and 15,887 yards, the former MVP is just 1-3 against Mahomes with some real playoff heartbreakers.

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But at 27 years old and ostensibly hitting his prime, this Ravens squad could be Jackson’s best-supporting cast yet to get over that Kansas City-sized hump finally. Derrick Henry’s bruising rushing style perfectly complements Lamar’s dual-threat brilliance. And with established vets like Odell at receiver plus a teeth-rattling defense, Baltimore has all the ingredients to make this Mahomes’ toughest test yet.

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The road to Las Vegas and football immortality goes through that red-hot Chiefs Kingdom. Stroud’s Texans may be the shiny new toy in town, but for now, Lamar Jackson has been anointed the AFC’s truest heir apparent to Mahomes’ throne. 2024 could finally be the year Superman meets his kryptonite… as the indomitable Ravens QB?

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