Mahomes teamed up with All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce to beat the top-seeded Ravens 17-10 on Sunday for their second straight playoff win in the AFC Champions League. The defending champion Chiefs return to the Super Bowl for the fourth time since 2019, seeking a third title.
After giving up a touchdown on Baltimore’s second possession, the Chiefs defense led the way, as it has for much of the season. No play was more important than Jarius Snead’s fumble recovery in the end zone early in the fourth quarter.
kansas city chiefs
The Chiefs are heading back to the Super Bowl after looking more vulnerable than at any time during much of the regular season since Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018.
The Chiefs scored touchdowns on their first two possessions and then used great defensive play to beat the Ravens.
Describe this game in two words: Kelce dominated. Kelce said this week that he wanted to win this AFC Championship Game, “something I never thought about in my life,” and he played like that. Kelce caught 11 passes for 116 yards, including the Chiefs’ first touchdown. He set the NFL postseason reception record with 152 catches, breaking Jerry Rice’s record.
QB breakdown: Mahomes is right. He’s content with most shorter pitches but is able to make them work. Mahomes went 30-of-39 for 241 yards and a touchdown. Kelce went 11-for-11 just throwing the ball at him.
Key gameplay: Head coach Andy Reid gave the Chiefs a try on their first possession of the game on fourth-and-2 from the Baltimore 41, with Mahomes completing a 13-yard pass to Kelce. , to keep the offense alive. The Chiefs then scored their first touchdown of the game and never trailed. ——Adam Teicher
next game: February 11 vs. San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas, Super Bowl 58
baltimore ravens
Jackson would have to wait another year before he could fulfill his draft-day promise and bring a Super Bowl championship to the Ravens.
Jackson and the Ravens’ offense collapsed on three turnovers, ending the season for the top seed in the AFC and causing the Ravens’ first home AFC Championship Game in history to end in bitter disappointment. The Ravens haven’t been to the Super Bowl since winning the Super Bowl in 2012.
The Ravens are 0-8 in the postseason with three or more turnovers.
Jackson added to the Ravens offense’s struggles when he banged his helmet on the ground after running into triple coverage and being intercepted in the end zone in the fourth quarter. The Ravens also committed turnovers in the first half when Jackson was stripped from behind and wide receiver Zay Flowers fumbled near the goal line. The only time Baltimore committed three turnovers was in a Week 5 loss to the Steelers.
As the favorite for NFL MVP, Jackson went 20-of-37 for 272 yards, a touchdown and an interception as Baltimore tied a season low with 10 points.
QB breakdown: Jackson has the most trouble extending drives. He went 1-for-6 for 7 yards and a sack on third down. It’s a reversal of fortune for the Ravens, who had a 42% success rate on third downs during the regular season, ninth-best in the NFL.
Key gameplay: Flowers dropped the ball near the goal line in the fourth quarter. With Baltimore trailing 17-7, Flowers sprinted toward the end zone for what appeared to be a touchdown, but the ball was then knocked out by Snead. It was Flowers’ first fumble of the season, and the 2023 first-rounder was visibly distraught on the sidelines. It was also an unusual mistake for Baltimore to make. It was the Ravens’ first red zone turnover since Week 5.
Disturbing trends: Jackson trailed by double digits for the fifth time in his six-year career, but only the third time it happened against the Chiefs.
It’s been a bad stretch for Jackson and the Baltimore offense, which is off to its slowest start of the season. Excluding the final game of the season (in which Jackson did not play), the Ravens posted record lows in points (7), yards (110) and completions (5) in the first half.
It’s not just the offense that’s in trouble. The Baltimore defense scored a touchdown on its first two possessions for the first time since 2021 against the Vikings.
Jaw-dropping statistics: Jackson produced the game’s most unique highlight in the second quarter when he caught a pass of his own. The 13-yard catch between Jackson and Jackson was the longest catch by a player in a playoff game in the Super Bowl era.
On second-and-5 from his own 18-yard line, Jackson’s pass was tipped by safety Justin Reid and the ball deflected in the air. He ran downfield to catch the ball, the longest pass completed by a player since Kent Graham of the New York Giants in 1998.
But four plays later, the Ravens ended up punting — a theme of the game. ——Jamison Hensley
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