2024 AFC title game: While Ravens wilt under pressure, Chiefs show title game experience and ‘we’re not done’

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens had the Kansas City Chiefs right where they wanted them, hosting the AFC Championship Game — the first time it was held in Baltimore in 53 years — in front of a raucous crowd in their own building. There was little doubt the team with the best record in the AFC was going to take care of business and further establish Lamar Jackson’s legacy. 

Too bad the other team had Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.

Even though the Ravens were the home team, their inexperience this deep in the playoffs showed throughout Sunday’s 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore scored a season-low 10 points and notched a season-high three turnovers. The Chiefs didn’t have a turnover, though they didn’t score a point in the second half of their victory

The Ravens looked the part of the team that hasn’t played in a conference championship game in 11 years. The Chiefs looked like the team that’s been to six of these games in a row. 

“Yeah, what I really want to say I can’t say, but they earned it,” Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen said after the game. “When they needed critical plays, they made critical plays. They executed, we didn’t. You can’t do that in the playoffs. It comes down to every single play. 

“On every single play, you have to capitalize, and we didn’t.” 

The Chiefs made several plays that championship teams make. Patrick Mahomes threw a perfect pass that only Travis Kelce could snag in the back corner of the end zone for a touchdown on Kansas City’s opening drive to give them an early 7-0 lead, one they would never relinquish. The touchdown catch was with Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton in coverage, the first score Hamilton has given up all year. 

After the Ravens responded with a touchdown drive on their next possession, the Chiefs went right down the field for a 16-play drive of their own that resulted in an Isiah Pacheco touchdown. Facing a third-and-5 on that drive, Mahomes found a diving Travis Kelce for a 10-yard gain that took the Chiefs to the Ravens’ 17-yard line. It was a play championship teams make and a usual one for teams that go deep in the postseason every year. 

The Chiefs never relinquished the lead after the touchdown. The Ravens played comeback the rest of the way, making plenty of mistakes.

In addition to the three turnovers, two of which were in the red zone in the fourth quarter, Baltimore punted on four straight possessions (not counting end of half) and gained just 69 yards during the stretch. 

The Ravens had just six carries from running backs and 81 rushing yards total. With the 10-point deficit, Baltimore shied away from the identity that got it to the conference championship round in the first place. 

Did the Ravens press after the 10-point deficit? 

“We’re trying to win. I don’t think you’re doing too much when you’re trying to win out there,” Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said. “We could have ran the ball. We were down, and we just tried to put points on the board, tried to get the ball down the field, and we’ve just got to make something happen.” 

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In what has been uncharacteristic of Jackson this season, he threw a pass in triple coverage to Deon Bush with 6:45 left in the fourth quarter facing that same 17-7 deficit. On the possession before that, when the Ravens were trying to get something going, Zay Flowers caught an 8-yard pass and fumbled the ball at the 1-yard line. The Chiefs recovered and the Ravens came up with nothing. 

Earlier in that drive, Flowers caught a 54-yard pass to ignite the dormant Ravens offense and put Baltimore at the Kansas City 10-yard line. He taunted Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed at the end of the play, resulting in a 15-yard penalty that sent the Ravens back to the Chiefs’ 25. 

That penalty was one of five personal foul infractions by the Ravens, and eight on the afternoon for 95 yards. The Chiefs had just three penalties for 30 yards. 

Baltimore looked like the team that was new to the NFL’s final four. Kansas City has been there and done that at this stage. Though 60 minutes of football, the experience between both teams showed. 

“You played a lot of football games. You’ve got to work through that. You got to work through that mentally. That’s not an easy thing,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. “I’m so happy for the guys and how they handled that. When it came time to put the hammer down, they put the hammer down, which was important. 

“The best part is we’re not done. We’ve got another game. You love these seasons to carry on as long as they can possibly carry on. And we’re there. Now we’ve got to get right back at it and start grinding for whoever wins this game here.”