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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….
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-afc-title-game-while-ravens-wilt-under-pressure-chiefs-show-title-game-experience-and-were-not-done/
Author : Jeff Kerr
Publish date : 2024-01-29 03:56:00
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