It's not hyperbolic to say that the Chiefs-Ravens matchup this Monday night may be the most important game of the regular season.
In 2019, the Ravens went 14-2 and -- led by eventual MVP Lamar Jackson -- entered the postseason with the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Of course, they didn't make good on it, falling to the Titans in the divisional round and opening the door for 2018 MVP Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to win two home playoff games before defeating the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.
Not only do the two teams appear to be the best in the AFC again in 2020, but they're perhaps the two best in the sport. The difference is under the NFL's new expanded playoff format, only the No. 1 seed in each conference will receive a first-round bye. That makes securing the top seed more important than ever -- and arguably makes this the most important game either team will play this season.
Both the Chiefs and Ravens are off to 2-0 starts again, and they meet on Monday Night Football in Baltimore to determine which team is the favorite to win Super Bowl LV.
While you can probably guess where the Chiefs and Ravens are, here are our latest RADIO.COM NFL Power Rankings:
Uh, Russ is cooking
Russell Wilson is off to a quick start in 2020.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
1. Kansas City Chiefs (Last Week: No. 1)
2. Baltimore Ravens (Last Week: No. 2)
3. Seattle Seahawks (Last Week: No. 4)
4. Buffalo Bills (Last Week: No. 5)
5. Green Bay Packers (Last Week: No. 6)
We're far from the first to make this observation, but it's impossible to gloss over -- Russell Wilson looks like he's sick of hearing about how he's never received a first-place MVP vote. After finishing runner-up to Jackson a season ago, Wilson has been other-worldly through the first two weeks, tossing nine touchdowns to just one interception. Even the one interception -- a pick-six Sunday night -- wasn't Wilson's fault but instead a tip drill created by Greg Olsen not catching a pass he normally hauls in. Not only is Wilson the early MVP favorite, but the Seahawks appear to have moved to the top of the pack in the NFC.
How much does Drew Brees have left?
Drew Brees and the Saints lost in Week 2.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
6. San Francisco 49ers (Last Week: No. 8)
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last Week: No. 7)
8. New Orleans Saints (Last Week: No. 3)
9. Arizona Cardinals (Last Week: No. 10)
10. Los Angeles Rams (Last Week: No. 11)
We're not going to rush to judgement on the Saints after a loss on Monday Night Football in Las Vegas. However, it's concerning that over the first two weeks of the season, quarterback Drew Brees is in the bottom 10 in terms of yards per pass attempt. As we've seen over the past couple years, coach Sean Payton can scheme the Saints to regular-season victories even with a diminished Brees. But in the playoffs, the Saints will need the ability of Brees to throw it deep. At age 41, it's unclear if he's capable of doing that anymore. That leaves you with the feeling that the Saints may have a ceiling in the postseason.
Even in loss, Cam Newton looks impressive
Cam Newton has played well in the first two weeks of the season.
Abbie Parr/Getty Images
11. New England Patriots (Last Week: No. 9)
12. Tennessee Titans (Last Week: No. 13)
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last Week: No. 14)
14. Dallas Cowboys (Last Week: No. 12)
15. Las Vegas Raiders (Last Week: No. 18)
Even though Cam Newton and the Patriots were ultimately denied what would've been the game-winning touchdown in a close loss to the Seahawks on Sunday evening, it's impossible to ignore how great Newton looked. Despite Wilson tossing five touchdowns, the Patriots were only a few yards away from escaping with a road win. Newton not only threw for 397 yards, but he led the team with 47 rushing yards, including two touchdown scampers. If the Patriots can acquire a No. 1 receiver before the trade deadline, they could be dangerous in the AFC playoffs.
Browns find the formula in Week 2
Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb had impressive Week 2 performances.
Jason Miller/Getty Images
16. Indianapolis Colts (Last Week: No. 16)
17. Chicago Bears (Last Week: No. 20)
18. Cleveland Browns (Last Week: No. 28)
19. Houston Texans (Last Week: No. 15)
20. Los Angeles Chargers (Last Week: No. 19)
Not only did the Browns bounce back after a blowout loss in Week 1, but in their victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last Thursday, coach Kevin Stefanski laid out a blueprint for the team to be a postseason contender. With arguably two of the 10 best running backs in the sport, the Browns gashed the Bengals for more than 200 yards on the ground, with both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt scoring. Baker Mayfield got out of the pocket and involved Odell Beckham Jr., who averaged 18.5 yards per catch. Perhaps it was just false hope, but the Browns have the talent on their roster to be a postseason team. We'll see, with 10 days to prepare, if they can keep its rolling at home against the Washington Football Team in Week 3.
Eagles already facing must-win game in Week 3
Carson Wentz and the Eagles are off to an 0-2 start.
Rob Carr/Getty Images
21. Minnesota Vikings (Last Week: No. 17)
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last Week: No. 25)
23. Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: No. 21)
24. Detroit Lions (Last Week: No. 23)
25. Atlanta Falcons (Last Week: No. 24)
It's only Week 3, but it's fair to say that the defending NFC East champion Eagles are already on the ropes. Carson Wentz and company have lost to the Washington Football Team and Los Angeles Rams in the first two weeks of the season and have a minus-28 point differential. Theoretically, they should be able to break into the win column against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals this week, though that perhaps shouldn't be taken for granted. Even if the Eagles do win, it needs to be convincing, not just one bad team beating an even worse one. After Philadelphia faces Cincinnati, it heads to San Francisco in Week 4 and Pittsburgh in Week 5 before returning home to host the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6. Even with an additional playoff spot in 2020, the Eagles are looking squarely at the possibility of being out of the playoff race by mid-October.
Broncos among teams off to miserable starts
Broncos quarterback Drew Lock is injured.
Joe Sargent/Getty Images
26. Denver Broncos (Last Week: No. 22)
27. Cincinnati Bengals (Last Week: No. 27)
28. Carolina Panthers (Last Week: No. 26)
29. Washington Football Team (Last Week: No. 29)
30. New York Giants (Last Week: No. 30)
31. Miami Dolphins (Last Week: No. 31)
32. New York Jets (Last Week: No. 32)
The Jets and Giants have perhaps moved to the forefront of the Trevor Lawrence watch, but that's not especially shocking. However, for the Broncos to have started 0-2, given that they were a trendy postseason pick, is jarring. It's already starting to feel like a lost season in Denver. Von Miller is likely out for the season after suffering an ankle injury. Emerging star receiver Courtland Sutton is out for the season after tearing his ACL this past weekend. Drew Lock likely will miss a couple weeks with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder. Perhaps expectations for the team got out of hand ahead of the season, but to this point, the Broncos have been the team most affected by major injuries.
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