The Kansa City Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens 17-10 at M&T Bank Stadium in the AFC Championship matchup on Sunday. This marks the second consecutive year they are heading to the Super Bowl, following their victory in securing the Vince Lombardi Trophy last year.
With a regular season record of 11-6, they faced more challenges than ever before, especially considering quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the starter.
Having triumphed over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVIII last season, the Chiefs are now attempting to become the first team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the 2004 New England Patriots.
In the highly-anticipated game, tight end Travis Kelce scored the first touchdown during the first quarter. This achievement holds significance for Kelce as he surpassed NFL legend Jerry Rice for the most postseason catches in NFL history.
Despite an impressive catch by Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in the first half—managing to grab the ball he threw—Baltimore fell short to Kansas City after three major turnovers.
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Both teams exchanged touchdown drives in the following possessions. The Chiefs orchestrated a 10-play, 86-yard drive culminating in a touchdown reception by star tight end Kelce. The Ravens responded with a quick 6-play drive, highlighted by a 30-yard pass from Jackson to Xavian Flowers, taking a little over two and a half minutes to tie the game.
Subsequently, the Chiefs executed a lengthy 16-play touchdown drive consuming nine minutes of game time. A two-yard touchdown run by Isiah Pacheco with 10:56 left in the second quarter put the Chiefs ahead 17-7 and marked the final touchdown of the game.
The only scoring in the second half occurred with just 2:34 left to play in the 4th quarter, when Justin Tucker kicked a 43-yard field goal, bringing the Ravens back within seven. However, Baltimore’s offense never saw the ball again, as the Chiefs secured the game with a 32-yard pass from Mahomes to Marquez Valdes-Scantling on 3rd and 9. This play granted the Chiefs a fresh set of downs as the game approached the two-minute warning.
With no timeouts remaining for the Ravens, they were unable to stop the clock, and the Chiefs needed only a few kneel-downs to bring the game to an end.
