Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs took a different route to face the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game.
They’re going on the road.
After hosting this game five straight seasons, the third-seeded Chiefs and their clutch quarterback had to leave the friendly confines of Arrowhead Stadium — where they rolled in a wild-card win against the Miami Dolphins two weeks ago — to beat the host Buffalo Bills last weekend. Now they travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens, who have their own star behind center in Lamar Jackson, an NFL MVP finalist.
Sunday’s 3 p.m. matchup will be televised by CBS.
The Chiefs are seeking to repeat as Super Bowl champions and win the big game for the third time in a five-year stretch. Nobody has won back-to-back NFL titles since the New England Patriots did it in the 2003-04 seasons, but they have to get there first.
Standing in their way are the top-seeded Ravens, who have played their best against tough opponents. The Ravens have 11 victories over teams with winning records this season, including nine wins by at least 14 points.
The Chiefs, after going 11-6 in the regular season and winning the AFC West Division for the eighth season in a row, shut down Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins’ potent offense in the wild-card round, then sneaked past the Bills as Mahomes — who has two NFL MVP awards and two Super Bowl MVP honors — played the first postseason game of his accomplished career.
The Ravens, who won the NFC North with a 13-4 record that was the NFL’s best in the regular season, rolled to a 34-10 win over the Houston Texans in the divisional round last weekend after enjoying a bye. They’re 3 1/2-point favorites against Kansas City, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Here’s a closer look at the matchup.
WHEN THE CHIEFS HAVE THE BALL
During the regular season, the Chiefs had the league’s sixth-ranked passing offense behind Mahomes and 19th-ranked rushing attack. The Ravens gave up the fewest points per game (16.5) and were sixth against the pass and 14th against the run.
Mahomes is a magician with his mobility, and what he’s been able to do without a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver has been impressive. He threw for 4,183 yards with 27 touchdowns, a career-high 14 interceptions and a career-low 92.6 passer rating. His receivers dropped 44 passes, more than any other team this season.
Mahomes’ go-to option still is tight end Travis Kelce. The Ravens have All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton to match up against Kelce, though, so rookie wideout Rashee Rice and veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling need to step up.
Kelce had 93 catches for 984 yards and five touchdowns in the regular season and caught two scores last week against Buffalo. Rice had 79 receptions for 938 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Chiefs will rely on running back Isiah Pacheco to balance the offense. He ran for 935 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season, and he had 97 yards on 15 carries with one score against the Bills. Baltimore’s front seven, led by All-Pro Roquan Smith, fellow linebacker Patrick Queen and defensive tackle Justin Madubuike held the Texans to 38 rushing yards last weekend and kept nine teams under 100 this season.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid is one of the NFL’s all-time great offensive innovators, and he’s been known to add a few new wrinkles in big games. All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney being injured will force Reid to make some adjustments to the game plan. Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has become a hot candidate for head coaching positions after Baltimore became the first unit in NFL history to lead the league in fewest points allowed, sacks and turnovers.
WHEN THE RAVENS HAVE THE BALL
The Ravens led the NFL in rushing and were 21st in passing behind the dual-threat Jackson, who was NFL MVP for the 2018 season as a second-year pro and could soon add another such trophy. The Chiefs gave up the second-fewest points (17.3), were fourth against the pass and 18th against the run.
Jackson is one of the league’s most talented all-around offensive players, so defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit will have its hands full. The All-Pro threw for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns and also ran for 821 yards and five scores during the regular season, and Jackson excelled in the biggest games, outplaying San Francisco counterpart Brock Purdy in a rout of the 49ers — who wound up the NFC’s top seed and face the Detroit Lions in that conference title game Sunday — and tossing five touchdown passes in a win over Miami that determined the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
The Chiefs can expect to see a heavy dose of Gus Edwards, Justice Hill and Dalvin Cook running the ball, and they also have to watch out for Jackson’s scrambles. The trio of running backs ran for 129 yards on 31 carries against Houston in the divisional round, while Jackson led the way with 100 yards on the ground.
Rookie Zay Flowers led Baltimore with 77 catches for 858 yards and five touchdowns in the regular season. Jackson also has veterans Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham Jr. at receiver, and Ttight end Mark Andrews is expected to return from an ankle injury, giving Jackson his favorite playmaker.
All-Pro slot cornerback Trent McDuffie against Flowers, who lines up everywhere, will be a key matchup. Blocking All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, who can be a game changer, is a top priority for Baltimore’s offensive line.
Jackson flourished in his first season in offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s system. Spagnuolo’s defense can perplex the best teams. His unit shut down quarterback Tom Brady, receiver Randy Moss and the undefeated Patriots when the New York Giants pulled off a stunning Super Bowl upset 16 years ago.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Two of the best kickers in the NFL are in this one. Kansas City’s Harrison Butker made 33 of 35 field-goal tries, including all five from beyond 50 yards. Five-time All-Pro Justin Tucker had a down season by his standards, going 32-of-37 on field-goal attempts and missing four of five from 50-plus yards for the Ravens.
Ravens punter Jordan Stout had a 39.1-yard net average while Kansas City’s Tommy Townsend had a 41.9-yard net average.
The Chiefs use Mecole Hardman and Richie James for returns. Hardman had the longest punt return at 50 yards and James had the longest kick return at 31. Devin Duvernay is a solid returner for the Ravens; he took a punt back 70 yards.
COACHING
Reid seems likely to wind up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He already has two Super Bowl rings and is the all-time wins leader for two teams, the Chiefs as well as the Philadelphia Eagles.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh, a Reid disciple, also has the credentials for a place in Canton, Ohio. He has had just two losing seasons in 16 years with Baltimore and led the team to a Super Bowl title to cap the 2012 season.
INTANGIBLES
Reid and Mahomes, each with a pair of Super Bowl rings, are chasing the NFL championship records set by former Patriots coach Bill Belichick (six) and Brady (seven).
Jackson and the Ravens are trying to silence the playoff narrative. The Ravens were 1-3 in the postseason with him at quarterback before last week’s dominant win. Losing this one would be a setback.