The Baltimore Ravens will host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship on Sunday in what will be the biggest game for the franchise since drafting Lamar Jackson.Ever since they clinched the top seed in the AFC, this team has been laser-focused on getting to this point and achieving the ultimate goal, winning the Super Bowl. They now face their toughest test as the defending NFL champions and MVP, Patrick Mahomes, come to Baltimore on their quest for back-to-back titles. The Ravens are in the best position they have been in for years and are poised to capture the third Super Bowl title in franchise history. They have the league’s best player this year in Jackson, the season’s probable MVP, and one of the best defenses in the NFL, led by All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith. Injury report: See the latest updates on key Ravens dealing with injuries”They’ve been through a lot. Our story, (and) our journey’s our journey, and it’s unique,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. “We’ve had a lot of short weeks, a lot of quick turnarounds, a lot of tough teams we’ve played (and) a lot of physical ballgames (against) teams that were playing for a lot. That’s been our journey this year. That’s how we’ve been forged for this moment.”But it will not be easy as the Chiefs have the championship experience, a future Hall of Fame quarterback and the best defense they have had in years. Here are three factors that will lead to a Ravens victory on Sunday. Come out swinging Whether it was rust, the weather, or a poor initial game plan, the Ravens started out slowly against the Houston Texans last week and were only tied at 10 at halftime. It did not cost them, as they would take care of business in the second half, but they cannot afford to do the same versus the Chiefs. A quick start will also get the Ravens’ fans into the game early, and they have shown how much they can affect a game with the crowd noise. “I have said it before, but at this level, you can take for granted sometimes the fans and the atmosphere. It is not the same around the league. Coming from the South, coming from the SEC atmosphere, you kind of get used to that. The Ravens’ atmosphere is no different from that, I would say. I feel like it has been turned up the whole season. It is going to be even louder, even more chaotic on Sunday, and I am excited to see it,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. Hamilton is among get 6 Ravens players named to NFL All-Pro teams. See who else made the roster.Getting an early lead would also play into the strengths of the Ravens and the weaknesses of the Chiefs. Making the Chiefs throw primarily will work in favor of the Ravens’ defense. The Chiefs have mostly inexperienced receivers and have struggled with drops and their offensive line can be susceptible to pressure. Getting to Mahomes is not easy, as he was the second least-sacked quarterback in the NFL this season and can be more dangerous outside of the pocket. That is where the Ravens secondary will have to step up and cover their assignments for a little longer than usual. Dominate the trenchesWith the weather looking like it could rain, this game could come down to which team can run the ball more effectively. The Chiefs have relied on second-year running back Isiah Pacheco, who is second in rushing yards this postseason with 186 yards. They have gone from a high-scoring air-attack offense to more of a ball-control style, which has helped them fix some of the turnover issues that plagued them earlier in the season. They were one of the worst teams in the NFL with a -11 turnover margin and have committed one each game so far this playoff. “There is no pressure at all on my shoulders or on my mind. The defense just has to do what they’ve been doing all season, and we’ve got to do what we’re supposed to do — put points on the board — and we will have nothing to worry about. Just everyone (has to) do their job. (The Chiefs are) a great team — no doubt about it — (in) all phases — special teams, offense, defense — but if you’re scoring points, and you’re stopping the opposing team, you’ll have a fair chance to win. And that’s just what we need to do,” Jackson said.The Ravens have had some issues with stopping the run, giving up a 100-yard rusher six times this season. But last week against the Texans, they were determined to stuff the run and held Houston to only 38 rushing yards on 14 carries. The Chiefs may be without their best interior offensive lineman, All-Pro guard Joe Thuney, who missed practice on Wednesday with a pectoral injury. If he is unable to go, then Ravens players like Michael Pierce and Justin Madubuike should be able to dominate on the inside and make it hard for Pacheco to get going.Jackson outperforms MahomesAs much as the teams will want to rely on their running games and defenses, this game will come down to which quarterback will have a better game.How is Kansas City preparing for its trip to Baltimore? Take a look here.Mahomes has shown that he can single-handedly win a playoff game, so now it is Jackson’s turn to prove his naysayers wrong. He must show that he can excel under the spotlight of the biggest game of his career so far. He had a good start with a great game against the Texans with four total touchdowns and will have to repeat a similar performance to beat the Chiefs.This is the two quarterbacks first playoff game against each other and Mahomes has the edge during the regular season three wins to one for Jackson. Recent history is in the Ravens’ favor, as the last time they played was a close home win 36-35 back in 2021. Jackson would use his legs mostly in that game, finishing with 107 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The Chiefs’ weakness on defense is stopping the run, so Jackson should be able to take advantage of them with his scrambling ability. The Ravens defense must worry about the same with Mahomes, who is one of the hardest quarterbacks to sack in the NFL.”We all know (Patrick Mahomes) is an elite quarterback (and) does everything well. Personally, just his ability to be able to read coverages, as well as extend plays, extend plays with his legs, and then if you’re not plastering (him), being able to throw it down the field, (he) can hurt you that way. He’s a great quarterback, we all know that, but so are we on defense, so we’ll see,” Smith said. PredictionThis game will be a defensive battle as the expected weather (mid-40s, rain) will limit the explosiveness of both offenses. This is a pretty even matchup on paper, but the Ravens have a slightly better defense that will keep the Chiefs out of the red zone. That should be enough to give the Ravens the win over the Chiefs 24-16 and send them to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl.
The Baltimore Ravens will host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship on Sunday in what will be the biggest game for the franchise since drafting Lamar Jackson.
Ever since they clinched the top seed in the AFC, this team has been laser-focused on getting to this point and achieving the ultimate goal, winning the Super Bowl. They now face their toughest test as the defending NFL champions and MVP, Patrick Mahomes, come to Baltimore on their quest for back-to-back titles.
The Ravens are in the best position they have been in for years and are poised to capture the third Super Bowl title in franchise history. They have the league’s best player this year in Jackson, the season’s probable MVP, and one of the best defenses in the NFL, led by All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith.
“They’ve been through a lot. Our story, (and) our journey’s our journey, and it’s unique,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. “We’ve had a lot of short weeks, a lot of quick turnarounds, a lot of tough teams we’ve played (and) a lot of physical ballgames (against) teams that were playing for a lot. That’s been our journey this year. That’s how we’ve been forged for this moment.”
But it will not be easy as the Chiefs have the championship experience, a future Hall of Fame quarterback and the best defense they have had in years. Here are three factors that will lead to a Ravens victory on Sunday.
Come out swinging
Whether it was rust, the weather, or a poor initial game plan, the Ravens started out slowly against the Houston Texans last week and were only tied at 10 at halftime. It did not cost them, as they would take care of business in the second half, but they cannot afford to do the same versus the Chiefs. A quick start will also get the Ravens’ fans into the game early, and they have shown how much they can affect a game with the crowd noise.
“I have said it before, but at this level, you can take for granted sometimes the fans and the atmosphere. It is not the same around the league. Coming from the South, coming from the SEC atmosphere, you kind of get used to that. The Ravens’ atmosphere is no different from that, I would say. I feel like it has been turned up the whole season. It is going to be even louder, even more chaotic on Sunday, and I am excited to see it,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said.
Getting an early lead would also play into the strengths of the Ravens and the weaknesses of the Chiefs. Making the Chiefs throw primarily will work in favor of the Ravens’ defense. The Chiefs have mostly inexperienced receivers and have struggled with drops and their offensive line can be susceptible to pressure. Getting to Mahomes is not easy, as he was the second least-sacked quarterback in the NFL this season and can be more dangerous outside of the pocket. That is where the Ravens secondary will have to step up and cover their assignments for a little longer than usual.
Dominate the trenches
With the weather looking like it could rain, this game could come down to which team can run the ball more effectively. The Chiefs have relied on second-year running back Isiah Pacheco, who is second in rushing yards this postseason with 186 yards. They have gone from a high-scoring air-attack offense to more of a ball-control style, which has helped them fix some of the turnover issues that plagued them earlier in the season. They were one of the worst teams in the NFL with a -11 turnover margin and have committed one each game so far this playoff.
“There is no pressure at all on my shoulders or on my mind. The defense just has to do what they’ve been doing all season, and we’ve got to do what we’re supposed to do — put points on the board — and we will have nothing to worry about. Just everyone (has to) do their job. (The Chiefs are) a great team — no doubt about it — (in) all phases — special teams, offense, defense — but if you’re scoring points, and you’re stopping the opposing team, you’ll have a fair chance to win. And that’s just what we need to do,” Jackson said.
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The Ravens have had some issues with stopping the run, giving up a 100-yard rusher six times this season. But last week against the Texans, they were determined to stuff the run and held Houston to only 38 rushing yards on 14 carries. The Chiefs may be without their best interior offensive lineman, All-Pro guard Joe Thuney, who missed practice on Wednesday with a pectoral injury. If he is unable to go, then Ravens players like Michael Pierce and Justin Madubuike should be able to dominate on the inside and make it hard for Pacheco to get going.
Jackson outperforms Mahomes
As much as the teams will want to rely on their running games and defenses, this game will come down to which quarterback will have a better game.
Mahomes has shown that he can single-handedly win a playoff game, so now it is Jackson’s turn to prove his naysayers wrong. He must show that he can excel under the spotlight of the biggest game of his career so far. He had a good start with a great game against the Texans with four total touchdowns and will have to repeat a similar performance to beat the Chiefs.
This is the two quarterbacks first playoff game against each other and Mahomes has the edge during the regular season three wins to one for Jackson. Recent history is in the Ravens’ favor, as the last time they played was a close home win 36-35 back in 2021. Jackson would use his legs mostly in that game, finishing with 107 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The Chiefs’ weakness on defense is stopping the run, so Jackson should be able to take advantage of them with his scrambling ability. The Ravens defense must worry about the same with Mahomes, who is one of the hardest quarterbacks to sack in the NFL.
“We all know (Patrick Mahomes) is an elite quarterback (and) does everything well. Personally, just his ability to be able to read coverages, as well as extend plays, extend plays with his legs, and then if you’re not plastering (him), being able to throw it down the field, (he) can hurt you that way. He’s a great quarterback, we all know that, but so are we on defense, so we’ll see,” Smith said.
Prediction
This game will be a defensive battle as the expected weather (mid-40s, rain) will limit the explosiveness of both offenses. This is a pretty even matchup on paper, but the Ravens have a slightly better defense that will keep the Chiefs out of the red zone. That should be enough to give the Ravens the win over the Chiefs 24-16 and send them to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl.
