Baltimore — Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were at their magnificent best in the first half, and Kansas City’s defense delivered another masterpiece against Lamar Jackson and Baltimore, advancing the Chiefs to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five years with a 17-10 victory in the AFC championship game on Sunday.
Kelce caught 11 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown, and the big question for next month’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas is whether his girlfriend Taylor Swift will be able to attend while on tour. The pop star returned on Sunday, and Kelce, 34, was in top form.
Kansas City (14-6) will face either San Francisco or Detroit on February 11, and a victory would make the Chiefs the first team to win the championship in consecutive seasons since the New England Patriots 19 years ago.
Swift’s presence has elevated the Chiefs to a higher level of glamour than they were previously, but this season has been more of a blue-collar performance on the field. Aside from Kelce, Mahomes hasn’t had the same receiving options as in previous years.
Instead, the defense has played a significant role in Kansas City winning the AFC West and eventually defeating Buffalo and Baltimore in two consecutive road playoff games to win the conference.
The Chiefs led 17-7 at halftime, and Justin Tucker’s 43-yard field goal with 2:34 remaining was the only score of the second half. Baltimore kicked deep after that, and on third-and-9, Mahomes connected with Marquez Valdes-Scantling, one of his most-maligned receivers, for a 32-yard pass that sealed the victory.
MVS IN A BIG SPOT.
📺: #KCvsBAL on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/IIZbdmhqNS pic.twitter.com/qRCH0uuAdw— NFL (@NFL) January 28, 2024
Mahomes finished 30 of 39 for 241 yards and a touchdown.
Jackson could win his second MVP award after leading Baltimore to the league’s best record and point differential during the regular season, but the Ravens gave up touchdowns on Kansas City’s first two possessions and appeared panicked at times after that.
Baltimore (14-5) made undisciplined mistakes all game, while Kansas City looked like the team making its sixth consecutive appearance in
With the Ravens trailing by ten in the third quarter, rookie Zay Flowers caught a 54-yard pass to the Kansas City 10 and was flagged for taunting after the play. Moments later, he fumbled near the goal line, leaving the Ravens with no points.
That was just one of several frustrating moments for Baltimore fans, who were hosting an AFC championship game for the first time since the Colts defeated the Oakland Raiders in January 1971.
Jackson finished 20 of 37 for 272 yards and a touchdown, but Baltimore never capitalized on its perceived ground advantage. Jackson raced under one of his own tipped passes in the first half for a 13-yard catch, but he also turned the ball over twice, including a forced pass into heavy coverage that was intercepted in the end zone with 6:45 left in the game.
Mahomes, meanwhile, completed his first 11 pass attempts, and while the Ravens mostly shut down Kansas City after that, the damage was done on a rainy day in Baltimore.
Before the game, there was some tense behavior between Ravens defensive back Arthur Maulet and a group of Kansas City players, which had to be separated.
The Chiefs then forced a three-and-out on the game’s first drive and ran 86 yards for the first touchdown. On fourth and two, Kelce caught Mahomes’ 13-yard pass over the middle. The star tight end then beat All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton for a 19-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 7-0.
Jackson responded in his own spectacular way. He broke free for a 21-yard run when Baltimore went for it on fourth-and-1 from the 34. The star quarterback then ducked out of a near-sack by Leo Chenal, retreated a little further back, and threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Flowers, who celebrated with teammates by doing the “swag surf” dance that Swift and Chiefs fans did at a recent game.
Kansas City wasn’t bothered. Mahomes drove his team 75 yards in 9:02, thanks to an acrobatic diving catch by Kelce on a third-down toss, and Isiah Pacheco capped the 16-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run.
The Chiefs actually missed opportunities to extend their lead. A sack by Charles Omenihu forced a fumble by Jackson, giving Kansas City the ball at the Baltimore 33. However, Kelce was marked just short on a third-down catch, and Pacheco was stopped on the subsequent fourth-down at the 13.
After a couple of personal fouls on Baltimore allowed Kansas City to cross midfield late in the half, the Chiefs were flagged for back-to-back holding calls, the second of which negated a 33-yard screen pass to Rashee Rice for a touchdown.
A 9-yard pass to Kelce put Kansas City in position for Harrison Butker’s 52-yard field goal, which made the score 17-7.
