The NFL should do all of us a favor and fast-forward to the Ravens playing in Kansas City for the AFC championship.

All of the bettors and the oddsmakers in Las Vegas would have a problem with that idea, but that’s a conclusion I reached after the Ravens lost to the Chiefs, 27-20, in the season opener, and nothing has changed.

The NFC appears to be wide-open. Philadelphia and Green Bay look to be at the top because both teams can run the ball and play defense, and the Packers have quarterback Jordan Love. But the same can’t be said about the starting quarterbacks for both Minnesota (Sam Darnold) and Detroit (Jared Goff), and the Lions’ defense has been decimated by injuries.

Over in the AFC, it’s just Baltimore and Kansas City. Those Christmas Day games were very revealing because the Chiefs blew out Pittsburgh, 29-10, and the Ravens crushed Houston, 31-2.

In case anyone has forgotten, the Steelers were challenging the Ravens for first place in the AFC North and the Texans were battling the Ravens for a possible No. 3 seed in the AFC.

So much for competition. The Steelers, who have lost three straight, quit in the fourth quarter Wednesday and Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who looked like he was about to cry before the game, was so fearful of the Ravens that he was afraid to step up in the pocket on several occasions.

So, bring on the Ravens and the Chiefs. Let’s see if Kansas City can become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowl titles or whether the Ravens can go into Arrowhead Stadium and rob Kansas City of a conference title like the Chiefs did a year ago in Baltimore.

There is really nothing else to see, except for maybe K.C. Wolf, who might be the best dancing mascot in pro sports history. If you thought Lamar Jackson was entertaining, then check out Mr. Wolf.

Now, back to the AFC.

There is all this talk about the NFL Most Valuable Player Award and the competition between Jackson and Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen. If the MVP is given to the league’s best player with the most dominant statistics, then it’s Jackson. If it’s given to the league’s or a team’s most valuable player, then it’s Allen.

Without Allen, the Bills would be the New York Giants. At least Jackson has tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, running back Derrick Henry, receiver Zay Flowers, middle linebacker Roquan Smith, safety Kyle Hamiton and cornerback Marlon Humphrey.

Besides Allen, the Bills have running back James Cook. That’s all, folks. They don’t have a dynamic receiver except for Amari Cooper, who can’t adjust to the cold in Buffalo after spending three years in Cleveland. The Bills can’t stop the run, which is why Henry ran Buffalo over in a 35-10 win Sept. 29.

Please, bring on the Bills.

Those other teams on the outside looking in, like the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals, don’t generate much fear either. All of them are soft.

It’s time to go back to Kansas City, not just for the barbecue, but also because of the Chiefs. They have tight end Travis Kelce and his girlfriend, Taylor Swift. They also have Patrick Mahomes, the best all-around quarterback to ever play the game.

It’s Mahomes versus Jackson.

Jackson, like Mahomes, has won two MVP Awards, but Mahomes has led his team to three Super Bowl titles since becoming the Chiefs’ starting quarterback in 2018.

Maybe it’s Jackson’s turn. He has yet to appear in a Super Bowl after seven years in the NFL.

It’s fascinating that Kansas City, once on cruise control, has appeared to turn it on again — at least it did Sunday against the Steelers. Mahomes completed 29 of 38 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns.

He seemed in rhythm despite Kansas City’s problems with pass blocking at offensive tackle. Mahomes went to the short passing attack using receivers Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kelce and DeAndre Hopkins. As far as the Chiefs’ problems in the secondary with young cornerbacks, it’s hard to evaluate because of Pittsburgh’s small-ball passing game and quarterback Russell Wilson being so stiff.

On the flip side are the Ravens. They’ve run up some big offensive numbers lately against the Giants, Steelers and Texans, but those teams weren’t much of a challenge.

Were the Ravens really that good?

No one knows for sure, but it presents an interesting matchup. The Ravens have their own stars. Offensively, when they are on, they have as much firepower as Kansas City. Defensively, the Ravens still have a lot to prove, but they’ve made significant improvement in the past month.

It doesn’t get any better than Mahomes versus Jackson. One is the all-around best ever, and the other is the best runner at his position to ever play the game. In the past two seasons, he has shown he can throw just as well as almost any quarterback in the NFL.

So, let’s skip the shenanigans and the charades. We all know where this was headed, and it’s been that way since Day 1 of the 2024 season.

It’s Chiefs versus Ravens.

Let’s move forward as fast as possible.

Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 andx.com/MikePrestonSun.