The final two AFC teams will face off in the first of two playoff games Sunday as the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Kansas City returns to the title game for the sixth consecutive year while the Ravens are making their first appearance since handing the reins over to Lamar Jackson. It’s a battle between the team with the best record in the AFC and the most dominant team in the conference in recent years. Let’s preview the Chiefs and the Ravens.
Kansas City Chiefs
Following 50 years of disappointment, the Kansas City Chiefs are on quite the hot streak. After winning Super Bowl 4, the Chiefs didn’t make it back to the Super Bowl until Super Bowl 54. Now, Kansas City has made three of the last four Super Bowls and is one win away form making it four out of five.
The franchise can trace its run of dominance to the naming of Patrick Mahomes as quarterback. The team has made the AFC Championship game all six years he’s been the starter. He’s the heir apparent to the dominant run of Tom Brady who appeared in eight straight AFC Championship Games between the 2011 and 2018 seasons.
Many thought this would be the year the Chiefs faltered. Kansas City receivers led the NFL in dropped passes. The team won the division but only reached the third seed, the lowest since Mahomes took over as starter. Kansas City had to go to Buffalo to play the first true road game in the Patrick Mahomes era. Many, including me, thought the Bills would win that game, but Kansas City proved us wrong. Now, the Chiefs head to Baltimore looking for one more Super Bowl appearance.
Baltimore Ravens
Despite being the home team in the game, the Baltimore Ravens are the new team on the block. The Ravens last made the AFC Championship game in the 2011 and 2012 seasons where they twice faced the New England Patriots in Foxboro. The Ravens nearly upset the Patriots in 2011 and completed the upset in 2012 to reach, and then win, Super Bowl 47. But those were with Joe Flacco at quarterback.
Baltimore began to struggle following their Super Bowl victory and moved on from Flacco. Since Lamar Jackson took over as quarterback, the Ravens have twice finished with the best record in the AFC. The first time that happened, they lost to the Titans in the Divisional round. This time, they were able to beat the Texans, as I predicted, to host AFC Championship Game for the first time in franchise history. The last time the city of Baltimore hosted the AFC Championship Game, the Colts beat the Raiders in 1971.
Baltimore is 2-3 in the playoffs with Lamar Jackson as quarterback. The Ravens tend to start slow in playoff games, as demonstrated by their first half struggles with Houston. It will be interesting to see what happens Sunday.
AFC Championship Game: Chiefs vs. Ravens Predictions
The Ravens appear to be the better team, but the Chiefs bring the experience. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh has been in this situation before and has a Super Bowl ring that should help motivate his players. Meanwhile, the majority of Kansas City players have appeared in at least one, and as many as three, Super Bowls. Andy Reid also coached the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl before moving over to Kansas City.
This prediction may not be popular, but I’m not willing to bet against the Kansas City Chiefs anymore. They’ve proven me wrong more than once. Plus, if the Ravens start slow again, the Chiefs will get too far ahead for them to catch up. They have the vibes the New England Patriots had the past two decades. I’m picking the Chiefs to win.
Final Score – Kansas City Chiefs 27 | Baltimore Ravens 17
Want to partner with us? Contact us now.
Subscribe to the Fantom Sports YouTube channel!
Help us build the best Discord in the sports industry!