BALTIMORE — The Kansas City Chiefs, who have looked more vulnerable for much of this regular season than at any time since Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018, are heading back to the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs scored touchdowns on each of their first two possessions before beating the Baltimore Ravens 17-10 to help Kansas City reach the Super Bowl for the fourth time in the past five years. In Las Vegas, they will face the San Francisco 49ers, who are considered a 2.5-point favorite on ESPN BET late Sunday night.
The Chiefs, who defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 58 last season, are seeking to become the first team to defend their Super Bowl title since the New England Patriots in 2004.
“You don’t take it for granted,” said Mahomes, who went 30-of-39 for 241 yards and a touchdown. “You never know how much you’re going to get, or if you’re going to get any. So it’s really special to do this with these guys after the whole season we’ve had. Everyone comes together and it’s really special. But I tell them, “The work isn’t done yet. “Our job now is to get ready, play a good team in the Super Bowl and try to win that ring.”
Mahomes’ 32-yard pass to Max Valdez-Scantling on 3rd-and-9 with just over two minutes left in the game was the game-clinching play. If it’s incomplete, there’s plenty of time for the Ravens to tie or win.
The Ravens blitzed and Mahomes threw a perfect pass to Valdes-Scantling. The Chiefs then ran out the clock.
“It wasn’t hard to make the call,” coach Andy Reid joked afterward. “Just a few words. It was blitz zero. We knew it was going to be blitz zero, or at least had a good idea. You never really know, but we thought we knew, and it was, and it allowed MVS to make a huge Success.” It’s in the right place that it makes a difference. “
Tight end Travis Kelce had 11 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. In this game, he broke Jerry Rice’s career postseason record of 151 catches.
The Chiefs were 11-6 in the regular season, losing more games than ever with Mahomes starting. They’ve had a few sloppy games, most notably a loss at home to Las Vegas in Week 16, where the Raiders took advantage of Chiefs miscues and scored two touchdowns on defense in back-to-back scrimmages. Array.
But general manager Brett Veach said the loss to the Raiders was a wake-up call for the Chiefs, who won their last two regular-season games and three more in the playoffs.
“Sometimes the worst thing that happens to you or in your season ends up being the best thing,” Veach said. “We’re looking for ways to win games, but something’s not right, whether it’s offense, defense or special teams. It’s just out of sync, but we’re winning and I think sometimes that’s just the deodorant…
“I think that loss really hit us hard and I think it made the whole organization re-examine itself. So I really think that game was one of the key motivating factors in getting everybody involved.
Mahomes is having the worst statistical season of his career in many ways, with a quarterback rating of 63, an average of 7.0 yards per attempt, and a career-high 14 interceptions. He is affected by the problems around him. The Chiefs have thrown the ball more than any team in the league and are second in penalties. Among the league’s highest-scoring teams in recent years, the Chiefs rank 15th this season with 21.8 points per game.
But in three playoff games, Mahomes has five touchdowns and 0 interceptions.
After defeating the Miami Dolphins at Arrowhead Stadium in the wild-card round, the Chiefs faced the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round, Mahomes’ first road game of his postseason career. The Chiefs beat the Bills 27-24 despite being the underdog.
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