(USA Today)
We saw two very different games last weekend in the AFC. The Ravens started slow in the first half, as they went into the locker room tied 10-10. After Lamar gave a reportedly impassioned halftime speech, the Ravens came out firing and outscored Houston 24-0. Baltimore will welcome the winner of the other AFC divisional round, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs played in a wire-to-wire thriller in chilly Buffalo. Mahomes and co. did enough to outlast Josh Allen, and if it weren’t for a late field goal miss by Buffalo Kicker Tyler Bass, the game may have seen an extra 10 minutes of overtime. This Sunday, we head back to M&T Bank Stadium for a matchup of two titans.
Despite all of the recent success for the Baltimore Ravens, we have not seen them in an AFC Championship Game since the 2012-2013 season. In that year, Lamar Jackson was a sophomore at Boynton Beach Community High School. In a year with extremely high expectations, Lamar has answered the bell. Every. Single. Time. We saw last week what a force the Ravens can be when they get their run game going. The combination of Edwards, Hill, Lamar, and even Dalvin Cook(!) can create problems for defensive coordinators down the stretch.
If they can get those guys going, the pass game will be tough to defend. Speedsters like Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman make for tough matchups in man coverage. While the Ravens have been without Mark Andrews for seven weeks, they get a massive lift getting him back on the field this weekend. Isaiah Likely has become a red zone force during Andrews’ time on the IR, and will surely continue to play a pivotal factor in the passing game this Sunday.
Defensive Coordinator Mike MacDonald called a master class against the Texans, he broke tendencies, disguised coverages, and had his guys ready to roll come game time. The linebacking core of Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith is arguably the best in the league, and the defense has received a boost from veteran pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney and linebacker Kyle Van Noy.
The defensive line is stout inside with the continued development of second-year defensive tackle Travis Jones, alongside Michael Pierce, and Justin Madubuike. The Ravens look to continue to dominate on both sides of the ball but will have their hands full with what is always a well-coached Kansas City Chiefs team.
Kansas City comes into Baltimore for their sixth straight AFC Championship appearance. Despite this streak, this will be the first in that run where the game will not be played in Arrowhead. The Chiefs had an extremely frustrating season. Offensive struggles were aplenty, as dropped passes and injuries plagued their success. I’d argue that throughout the season the most valuable player on their offense has been Isaiah Pacheco. He provides a spark to this team that guys like Kelce and Tyreek Hill have done in years past. He runs like someone stole his candy, he’s pissed the f off. He lifts the offense when other guys may be struggling. Rashee Rice has been the catalyst for an inconsistent pass game as he received nine targets last week in Buffalo. Kelce looked like he may be officially back as he got into the endzone twice last week, and was consistently found downfield for explosive plays, a staple of successful Chiefs teams of the past.
Mahomes is Mahomes, he is going to find ways to extend plays and make things happen. They will always have a chance so long as he is the guy under center. He’s one of the best of our generation, like it or not. He looked to have their offense primed and they were the best they have all year this past week. That’s what matters most at this point in the year, who’s playing the best ball at the right time.
As far as the defense is concerned, the Chiefs have leaned on this side of the ball a lot this year. They have outperformed a lot of pre-season speculation and answered the call when needed most. They have young players in key roles all over the field, and they are performing at a high level. Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has been phenomenal all year. He disguises his safeties so well pre-snap, and the Chiefs generate a lot of turnovers off of it. Willie Gay Jr., who left last week's game with an injury, is questionable this week. He would be a huge loss for this defense as they could surely use his athleticism on the field as they aim to try and stop Lamar.
This prediction is tough, I think the Ravens at home are an extremely brutal matchup for the Chiefs. On the other hand, Mahomes, Kelce, and Andy Reid seem to always find a way. The Cleveland Browns die-hard in me is struggling to even think about the Baltimore Ravens heading back to yet another Super Bowl, but I think Lamar might be too much to handle.
Ravens 31
Chiefs 27
This one has the makings to be an all-timer. I think Lamar does enough with his feet to put the Ravens over the hump, and the strength of all three units will be too much for the up-and-down Chiefs. Give me Lamar and Harbaugh heading to Vegas.
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