The Kansas City Chiefs were on the road again in Baltimore, taking on the Ravens for the opportunity to go to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl.
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Final Score: Kansas City Chiefs 17, Baltimore Ravens 10
The Chiefs faced the Ravens in Baltimore and came out victorious to advance to their fourth Super Bowl appearance in five years. They will face the San Francisco 49ers in a Super Bowl 54 rematch.
The Ravens started with the ball, but the Chiefs’ defense was able to get a three-and-out. Once the ball was in the hands of Patrick Mahomes, they never looked back. Kansas City was up by seven, thanks to a touchdown by Travis Kelce. The Ravens then came back to tie on a touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson to Zay Flowers.
The Chiefs went up 14-7 early in the second quarter. They eventually put up three more points thanks to a 52-yard field goal by Harrison Butker. They went into halftime leading, and despite the Ravens not allowing them to score in the second half, the Chiefs held the Ravens to only three points. The dagger was the 32-yard pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, which he was able to catch and hold on to, redeeming himself in the eyes of Chiefs fans.
How Were the Chiefs Able to Win?
It is easy to point to Mahomes and others on the offense as the main reason the Chiefs were able to come away with the win. However, don’t forget about the defense. Steve Spagnuolo did an excellent job of playcalling and allowing his players to do their job. Mahomes was 30 of 39, 241 yards and one touchdown. He did not have any interceptions or turnovers. They had control of the ball for the majority of the first half of the game. Overall, Kansas City had possession of the ball for a little over half the game (37:30 to 22:30). Most importantly, there was no panic in the second half when they did not score. They continued playing as they had been and only allowed the Ravens to get a field goal.
Why Did the Ravens Lose?
Jackson was 20 of 37, 272 yards, one touchdown, fumble, and interception. The defense for the Chiefs did not allow Jackson to be comfortable enough in or out of the pocket. A huge factor contributing to the loss was that they did not run the ball on the Chiefs. Kansas City has had an issue with defending the run. It was even apparent in last week’s game against the Buffalo Bills. However, the blame is not out all on the players. The coaching staff should have adjusted their play calling, especially after halftime, but they chose or did not want to. Perhaps they thought they were on the right track. Their defense was, but the offense could not make up the difference in the score. Also, the eight penalties did not help either.
Highlights
OH MY GOODNESS TRAVIS KELCE pic.twitter.com/b8W7hs0ih4
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 28, 2024
TOUCHDOWN ZAY FLOWERS!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/vvOzEjxA5u
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 28, 2024
THESE. TWO. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5aH98n8rke
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 28, 2024
LAMAR TO LAMAR 😂😂😂😂
Tune in on CBS! pic.twitter.com/cHm40kcF9E
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 28, 2024
Big leg Butker. pic.twitter.com/DEB4anghjK
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 28, 2024
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, L’JARIUS SNEED!!! pic.twitter.com/rHw8hcuUgG
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 28, 2024
RED ZONE PICK!!!!! pic.twitter.com/1tokokqJPD
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 28, 2024
Looking Forward
The Ravens will be looking over the game to find what went wrong. However, they do not have to look very hard. They got away from the type of game that made them a dominant force in the AFC all season. However, it is hard to play your game when your opponent does all they can to keep your offense off the field. They must look at their defense and determine where the breakdown occurred. While all teams have a period of introspection, they were not playing for the opportunity to go to the Super Bowl. Baltimore was, and they will need to assess why they continued to call offensive plays that allowed Kansas City’s defense time to disrupt their passing game.
Kansas City is on another road trip. This time to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl. They will be busy coming up with plays on both sides of the ball and looking at game footage to look for weaknesses in the 49ers. While this is not the same team they played in Super Bowl 54, some pieces are still there, mingled with new parts. They will need to be ready for a team that will not underestimate them, as it appeared the Bills and Ravens did.
The Chiefs will defend their reigning Super Bowl champions title in Super Bowl LVIII next month. It is in Las Vegas and will kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 11.
Main Image Credit:
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