NFL 2023-24 Playoffs AFC Championship Game Review: Chiefs Drown Ravens in Low Scoring, Defesnive Battle in Baltimore

 

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Kansas City Chiefs

at 

Baltimore Ravens

Kansas City Chiefs 17, Baltimore Ravens 10

I expected the Chiefs to win this game, and largely off the strength of their defense. 

Still, it surprised me just how low-scoring this game proved to be.

When Kansas City kicked the field goal to give themselves a 17-7 lead at halftime, I expected the scoring to continue for both teams. If you had told me that KC would not score again in the game, I would have thought that the Ravens surely would win the game.

As good as KC's defense is, though, I did not think that they would reduce Baltimore to just three points throughout the second half, and that the field goal would come in the final minutes of the game, giving the Ravens one last prayer with time quickly running out. 

The Chiefs dominated the time of possession, holding onto the ball for 37 minutes and 30 seconds. That is a remarkable amount of time, and it seemed to work well. The Chiefs defense held the Ravens in check, and it surely helped that the offense was off the field for such long stretches at a time. They just never got much of a chance to find any kind of rhythm. 

Also, Baltimore committed three turnovers, while KC had none. When you have that combination working against you, it's going to be tough to beat anybody.

Yes, the Ravens appeared to be the best team in the AFC, if not the entire NFL, for most of the season. But the reason I predicted a Chiefs win is simply that they are champions. They know what it takes, having been there before. There is a reason why they have reached the AFC Championship Game six years in a row now, and are going to the Super Bowl for a fourth time in five years. For that matter, there is a reason why they won two recent Super Bowls, and were the defending champs this year.

Kansas City looked hot and elite early in the season. Then, slowly but surely, they began to wane just a bit, losing games that most expected them to win. At one point, they were 8-6, and only one game ahead of the Broncos in the AFC West. It did not even appear certain that they would be in the playoffs, the way things were going.

However, here they are. They seemed to turn it up a notch or two as soon as the playoffs began. Suddenly, they look like the same team that has dominated the league in recent seasons. That is why they are heading back to the Super Bowl, and will have another chance to win another Lombardi Trophy, and cement their status as a dynasty.

My pick: Accurate