Chiefs 17-10 Ravens, Chiefs going to Super Bowl, summary: score, stats, highlights | AFC Conference Championship

Life is good for Travis Kelce, indeed!

Another angle of the Kelce catch

It was just too good.

Chiefs made it a 10-point game before the half

Never getting over this stunt by Lamar Jackson

He caught HIS OWN PASS.

Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton had a fantastic night

Hamilton accounted for 11 total tackles, 9 solo tackles, and one tackle for a loss, and one quarterback hit. Plus this CLUTCH stop on the Chiefs at 4th down.

It was all downhill from here for the Ravens

Pacheco picks up the Chiefs' second TD

Impressive Kelce catch!

Rookie Zay Flowers made Ravens first TD

Flowers tied the game in the first quarter with a 30-yard TD catch from Jackson

The Chiefs' opening TD - Mahomes to Kelce, of course

CHIEFS defeat RAVENS to go to FIFTH Super Bowl in Mahomes-Reid era

The Chiefs are going to their second consecutive Super Bowl after defeating the Ravens 17-10 in the AFC Conference Championship game. 

First half

The Chiefs dominated the first half, forcing the Ravens to go three and out on their opening drive and then scoring immediately. The Chiefs got held to 4th and 2 but went for it and it was a Patrick Mahomes pass to TE Travis Kelce for 13 yards that made the 4th-down conversion. Then it was Kelce again who made the19-yard catch for the touchdown to give the Chiefs an early lead in the first quarter.

The Ravens quickly tied it up though. They were held to 4th and short and went for it, just as the Chiefs did. On that 4th-down conversion, it was Jackson who made the 21-yard run for the 1st down. He then made a huge 30-yard touchdown pass to rookie WR Zay Flowers to even the score 7-7.

Unfortunately for the Ravens though, that was the end of their scoring for a while. In the second quarter, the Chiefs took their time, but eventually made it downfield. Kelce made another super impressive catch as Mahomes was escaping a sack and threw low. He dove to make the catch for 10 yards and the first down at 3rd and 5. They made it down into the red zone and Mahomes’ hand-off to Pacheco was good to give them a 2-yard touchdown run and a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter.

The defenses took over from there. When the Ravens had the ball, DE Charles Omenihu sacked Jackson and forced a fumble and George Karlaftis recovered it. The Chiefs had the ball back again, but not for long.

As the Chiefs went for it on 4th and 1, Pacheco’s run was stopped by Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton. Ravens got the ball back on downs. That was when Jackson did something incredible - he THREW and CAUGHT his own pass. As he threw the ball, it was tipped into the air by a Chiefs defender and he RAN forward to catch it himself and avoid an interception AND pick up 13 yards. Unfortunately, they couldn’t turn that into a score, getting held to 4th and 9 and punting it back.

Instead, it was the Chiefs who got points on the board before the half, managing a 52-yard field goal by Harrison Butler with four seconds left on the clock to make it 17-7 just before halftime.

Second half

The third quarter didn’t have a ton of action but it did have a lot of mistakes by the Ravens. Jackson made a huge 54-yard pass to Flowers to the Chiefs 10, but it was taken back 15 yards as Flowers stood over the Chiefs defenders and got called for Taunting. It got worse from there. Just as they were about to make a comeback, Flowers made another mistake. He made the catch from Jackson and as he was running the ball into the end zone for the touchdown, he reached his hand out to cross the ball over the line and it was knocked out by Chiefs defender CB L'Jarius Sneed and it was recovered by Chiefs defender CB Trent McDuffie in the end zone for a touchback JUST as the fourth quarter started.

That set the tone for the rest of the game for the Ravens. In the 4th quarter, though the defense made some big stops and good plays, the offense didn’t get it done. After another huge play, a 39-yard pass to WR Nelson Agholor, Jackson threw an interception in the end zone, caught by Chiefs safety Deon Bush for ANOTHER touchback with just under seven minutes left.

The Ravens were able to eventually make a field goal, a 43-yard attempt by Justin Tucker to come within one score, but it was too late.

At that point, there were just 2 minutes 34 seconds left in the game and the Chiefs got the ball back. They were able to get far enough down the field to take the knee with 2 minutes left and win the game.

The Ravens' run has come to an end and the Chiefs will head to the Super Bowl.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!

And that is GAME. Mahomes takes the knee to run out the clock. The Chiefs have DEFEATED the Ravens at home to win their second-straight AFC title game and head to their FOURTH Super Bowl in the Mahomes era!

TWO-MINUTE WARNING

The Chiefs just made a BIG play, getting a 1st down on a 33-yard pass at the Ravens 22. They're up by 7 with 2 minutes left in the game. 

At 3rd and 9, Mahomes passes DEEP to Valdes-Scantling for 33 yards! 1st down!

Ravens take third timeout

Pacheco takes it up 2 yards - 3rd and 9

Ravens take second timeout

Pacheco gets nowhere, swallowed up and pushed back by Queen and Pierce - 2nd and 11

Ravens' Smith is called for Unnecessary Roughness - gives Chiefs 15 yards and the automatic 1st down

Pacheco took it up 7 yards to the Chiefs 32.

The Ravens got called for Too Many Men on the Field and the Chiefs took the 1st and 5 to replay the down,

Tucker makes the 43-yard field goal to make it a one-score game with 2 minutes 34 seconds left to play in the game.

RAVENS FIELD GOAL!

Jackson pass incomplete to Likely - 4th and 5 at the Chiefs 25

Jackson pass broken up by McDuffie, incomplete - 3rd and 5

Jackson scrambles up 5 yards - 2nd and 5

Chiefs' Wharton was injured on the play

Jackson pass to Hill complete for 11 yards - 1st down at the Chiefs 30

Jackson escapes, scrambles up 3 yards - 2nd and 7

Jackson's pass to Hill is bobbled but eventually caught and he moves up just enough, 7 yards for the 1st down

Jackson to OBJ complete for 8 yards - 3rd and 6

Jackson SACKED by Karlaftis for a loss of 4

Townsend punts 48 yards to the Ravens 25 and Duvernay ran it up 21 yards to the Ravens 46

Pacheco picks up 5 and the Chiefs will punt on 4th and 3

Mahomes SACKED by for a loss of 2 by Madubuike and Pierce - 3rd and 8

Pacheco takes it up 4 yards - 2nd and 6

TOUCHBACK

Jackson pass intended for Likely is INTERCEPTED by Bush in the end zone - TOUCHBACK

Jackson tries to throw deep again to OBJ in the end zone but it's incomplete - 2nd and 10

Jackson pass deep to Agholor is COMPLETE for 39 yards!

Ravens' Edwards was injured on the play

Edwards takes it up 4 yards to get the 1st down

Jackson pass complete to OBJ again for 8 yards this time - 3rd and 2

Jackson pass incomplete to Bateman - 2nd and 10

Jackson pass complete to OBJ for 6 yards and it's a 4th-down conversion

Jackson escaped the pocket again but was eventually brought down for a SACK by Wharton for a loss of 2.

The Ravens will go for it on 4th and 3.

Jackson escapes the pocket and scrambles up 9 yards - 3rd and 1

Jackson pass deep is incomplete to OBJ - 2nd and 10

Jackson pass to Likely complete and he takes it up 10yards for the 1st down

Ravens pass incomplete to Bateman - 2nd and 10

Townsend punts 47 yards to Ravens 1, downed by Watson

Mahomes gets it to Rice for 6 but on 3rd and 13, his pass is incomplete to Gray. Chiefs punt on 4th and 14.

Mahomes SACKED by Madubuike for a loss of 9

Mahomes pass to Watson ended in a loss of 3 yards but Ravens' Clowney is called for Roughing the Passer as he runs into Mahomes - 15yards, automatic 1st down

Pacheco takes it up 3 - 2nd and 7

Chiefs take first timeout

Mahomes pass to Kelce for 14yards - 1st down

Mahomes pass incomplete - 3rd and 7

Pacheco takes it up 3 - 2nd and 7

TOUCHBACK

Jackson passed to Flowers and he ran it up and nearly scored the touchdown but instead, as he was reaching to put the ball over the line, he FUMBLED it as Sneed pushed it out of his hands and it was RECOVERD by CHIEFS' McDuffie at the -1. TOUCHBACK.

END THIRD QUARTER

That ends the third quarter.

The Chiefs are in the lead 17-7 but the Ravens are working hard to make a comeback. After a 54-yard pass to Flowers (called back 15 yards on a penalty) gave them a big 1st down, the Ravens are at 2nd and 8 on the Chiefs' 9-yard line.

Jackson to Bateman for 2 yards - 2nd and 8

Jackson's first pass was incomplete to Hill, but on the next, he sent it to Flowers for 14 yards and the 1st down

Jackson passes deep to Flowers 54 YARDS to the Chiefs 10.

It's taken back 15 yards as Flowers got called for Taunting when he stood over the Chiefs defender. 1st and 10 at the Chiefs 25.

Townsend punts 53 yards to Ravens 36. Duvernay tries to take off but gets tackled immediately by Williams at the Ravens 36.

Mahomes under pressure by Washington, forces Mahomes to throw it away.

Chiefs will punt it on 4th and 7.

Pacheco gets 1, then 3, stopped by Queen and Urban - 3rd and 7

Stout punts 42 yards to Chiefs 7, Cente, downed by Stone

Jackson is SACKED by Reid for a loss of 8 yards.

Ravens punt at 4th and 17.

Jackson to Andrews pass is low, but caught for 6 yards - 3rd and 9 

Jackson pass incomplete to Andrews, and then they get a Holding call on top of that on Simpson - 10 yards, 2nd and 15

Jackson makes a jump-pass and another catch by Hill for 5 yards - 2nd and 5

Jackson makes the pass to Hill this time and he runs it up for 11 yards and the 1st down

Jackson escapes a sack, but the pass is incomplete to Hill - 2nd and 10

Jackson scrambles up 11 yards for another 1st down

Jackson pass to Edwards and he runs it up for a gain of 16 - 1st down

Touchback

Van Noy pushes Pacheco BACK 4 yards - 4th and 19 

Hamilton is everywhere! He gets to Edwards-Helaire after just 2 yards - 3rd and 15 Chiefs

Mahomes pass is incomplete to Gray and then Chiefs' Taylor is called for Holding. Puts Chiefs at 2nd and 17

Mahomes pass to Gray for 3 yards - 2nd and 7

Kelce gets 5 - 1st down

Humphrey to Chiefs 39 loses 4 yards, FUMBLES and it's recovered by Chiefs' Mahomes at the 29. He passes it to Valdes-Scantlng for 6 yards. 

Mahomes pass complete to Watson for 16 yards - 1st down

Pacheco picks up 6 - 3rd and 6

Darby pushes Rice back a yard and he fumbles out of bounds - 2nd and 11

Stout punts 52 yards to Chiefs 22, James calls for the fair catch

Jackson pass nearly picked as Bolton hopped in front of Flowers, but it fell incomplete - Ravens punt it back on 4th and 6

Flowers picks up 3 - 3rd and 7

Edwards stopped by Reid - 2nd and 10

Townsend punts 46 yards to Ravens 22, out of bounds

Mahomes under pressure from Maulet, passes high and it's tossed away by Williams, incomplete.

Chiefs punt on 4th and 3

Mahomes to Kelce for 6 - 3rd and 3

Pacheco gets just a yard - 2nd and 9

And we're back!

The second half has begun! Tucker punts - Touchback

Lamar, the real GOAT.

HALFTIME

Touchback, and Jackson takes the knee to end the half. 

The Chiefs are up 17-7, scoring a field goal just before halftime. 

The Chiefs will get the ball on offense to start the second half. 

Butker makes the 52-yard attempt to put the Chiefs up by 10 with four seconds left in the half.

CHIEFS FIELD GOAL!

Chiefs take second timeout

Mahomes pass to Kelce for 9 yards - Chiefs are within FG range - 4th and 15 at the 34

Ravens take second timeout

Holding on Smith AGAIN! Puts Chiefs back another 10 yards - 3rd and 24

Rice took it all the way into the end zone BUT there's another flag on the play....

Mahomes scrambles up 9 yards for the 1st down but Chiefs' Smith gets a Holding call - 10 yards, 3rd and 14

Mahomes pass incomplete to Gray, too high with Oweh putting the pressure on - 3rd and 4

Mahomes to Rice for 6 yards - 2nd and 4

Chiefs take first timeout

Mahomes pass complete for 21yards to Kelce! 1st down at the Ravens 29

Mahomes scrambles up for 3 yards - 2nd and 7

Mahomes gets out of the pocket but the pass is incomplete.

No matter, the Ravens get a Roughing the Passer when Jones hit Mahomes right on the face. Another 15 yards and automatic 1st down for Chiefs.

Pacheco gets 5 yards but Hamilton is all over him - 2nd and 5

Pacheco got a yard, but the Ravens got an Unnecessary Roughness on Van Noy to give Chiefs 15 yards and automatic 1st down

Queen swallows up Pacheco for no gain - 2nd and 10

Stout punts 42 yards to Chiefs 11 and James calls for the fair catch 

Jackson pass to Hill is incomplete and Ravens will have to punt

Ravens take first timeout

Jackson pass incomplete to Agholor - 3rd and 4

TWO-MINUTE WARNING

That takes us to the 2-minute warning in the first half.

The Chiefs are up by one score. Ravens have the ball at 2nd and 4 on their own 47 and will try to tie it up before the half.

Chiefs' Omenihu was injured earlier on and is being taken to the locker toom

Jackson to Likely for 6 yards - 2nd and 4

Townsend punts 30 yards to Ravens 41, downed by Perine

It's Hamilton AGAIN with the pressure on Mahomes, forces yet another incomplete pass - 4th down. Chiefs will punt it away.

Low snap to Mahomes, he tosses it to Rice and Hamilton is there to make the stop - 3rd and 10

Mahomes pass deep to Rice is incomplete - 2nd and 10

I mean...wow.

Stout punts 49 yards to Chiefs 19 and James takes it up 10 yards to the Chiefs 29. 

Jones gets in the way to force another incomplete pass - 4th and 9 and the Ravens have to punt it away

Jackson pass incomplete to Hill - 3rd and 9

JACKSON JUST CAUGHT HIS OWN PASS?

Jackson tossed the ball into the air and it was deflected by the Chiefs defense but Jackson RAN for it and picked up 13 YARDS on his OWN PASS for the 1st down.

WOW.

Jackson takes it up 5 - 2nd and 5

Pacheco takes it but he's stopped short by Hamilton! And the Ravens will get the ball back on downs (at their own 13) after giving it away on a fumble recovery.

Mahomes pass complete to Kelce but he's just short - 4th and 1

Chiefs will go for it

Mahomes throws it away under pressure - 3rd and 9 

Direct snap to Pacheco and he takes it up just 1 yard - 2nd and 9

Ravens' Maulet was injured on the play

Pacheco pushes through for 2 yards and the 1st down

Pacheco takes it 3, Kelce takes it 6 - Chiefs are at 3rd and 1 at the Ravens 24

Jackson SACKED by Omenihu for a loss of 7 yards and then he FUMBLES it, and it's RECOVERED BY CHIEFS' Karlaftis at the Ravens 33.

Hill takes it up 2 yards for the 1st down

Jackson pass incomplete to Flowers - 3rd and 1

Jackson pass to Flowers caught for 9 yards - 2nd and 1

Touchback

It took a while - 9 minutes to be exact, but the Chiefs made it into the end zone. Pacheco took it 2 yards for the touchdown. Butker's PAT is good and the Chiefs take the lead back again with 10:56 to go in the 2nd quarter.

Pacheco runs it up 4 yards to the 2 - 2nd and goal

Mahomes scrambles up 4 yards to the Ravens 6 - 1st and goal

Ravens' Jones was injured on the play

Pacheco takes it up 2 - 3rd and 3 at the Ravens 10

Mahomes pass to Gray for 5 yards - 2nd and 5

Mahomes escapes a sack, scrambles away, and takes a big hit just as he gets rid of the ball and Kelce came in to the rescue to make the catch for 10 yards and the 1st down!

Mahomes' first incomplete pass to James with pressure on - 3rd and 5

Mahomes to Rice for 5 yards - 2nd and 5

END FIRST QUARTER

That takes us to the end of the 1st quarter.

The Chiefs and Ravens are tied 7-7 after a Kelce TD for the Chiefs and Flowers TD for the Ravens.

The Chiefs have the ball at 1st down at the Ravens 32 as we start the second quarter.

Mahomes pass to Rice for 9 yards! 1st down Chiefs

Edwards-Helaire is taken down by Stephens after just a yard - 3rd and 4

Pacheco picks up 5 - 2nd and 5

Mahomes tosses it up to Kelce and he takes it up 6 yards - 1st down

Mahomes scrambles and slides just short - 11 yards, 3rd and 1

Hamilton takes Pacheco backwards 2 yards - 2nd and 12

Mahomes passes to Rice and he picks up 10 and the 1st down

Pacheco picks up 3 - 2nd and 7

Touchback

Jackson dodged a sack and then made a HUGE deep pass 30 yards to rookie Zay Flowers in the end zone for a touchdown! Tucker's PAT is good and the Ravens tie it up with 4:58 to go in the first quarter.

Edwards gets a big pickup of 15 yards to the Cheifs 30

That timeout was because of a DRONE interference, by the way. But we're back now!

Timeout

Yes they will! JACKSON takes it up 21 yards on that 4th down conversion!

Hill is stopped by Tranquill! Ravens are at 4th and 1....will they go for it?

Jackson hits Andrews for 9 yards! 3rd and 1

Jackson under pressure, incomplete - 2nd and 10

Touchback 

Ravens went 3 and out on their opening drive, and then it was the Chiefs' game. Pacheco helped the Chiefs get down the field, Kelce made a clutch 13-yard catch on 4th and 2, and then Mahomes sent a 19-yard pass to Kelce again in the end zone for the touchdown! 

The Chiefs take an early lead with 7:41 still to go in the 1st quarter.

Mahomes throws deep to James and it's incomplete, but Ravens' Maulet is called for Holding.

Chiefs get 5 yards/automatic 1st down. 

Pacheco takes it up again for 4 yards to the Ravens 24

And it's Kelce who makes the catch for 13 yards!

1st down Chiefs

Chiefs going for it on 4th and 2

Pacheco takes it on the next one but he gets NOWHERE, taken down by Smith and the Chiefs are at 4th down.

Reid decides, they'll go for it!

Mahomes hands it off to Pacheco and he gets a gain of 7 - 3rd and 2

Edwards-Helaire takes it this time but he only gains a yard - 2nd and 9 at the Ravens 48

Pacheco gets another 12! Chiefs are on a roll - another 1st down

Another one!

Mahomes passes to Rice for another 11 yards and another 1st down

Mahomes hands it off to Pacheco and he picks up 10 - Chiefs have got the first down

Mahomes tosses it to Kelce for a gain of 4 yards - 2nd and 6

Stout punts 66 yards to Chiefs 6 and James takes it up 8 yards to the Chiefs 14

Ravens go 3 and out to start

Hill took it a yard on the first down, then it was Jackson who scrambled for 2. At 3rd and 7, Jackson threw to Agholor and it was incomplete. The Chiefs will receive the kick.

Butker's kicked us off - Touchback

GAME ON!!!!

The Chiefs have won the toss and elected to defer and WE ARE READY TO GO!!

NFL

Taylor Swift at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore for Chiefs vs Ravens

Taylor Swift is ready for kickoff and so are we!

Oh yeah, the intensity is already high at M&T Bank Stadium!

Lamar Jackson’s quest for first Super Bowl

As spectacular as a player Lamar Jackson is, he's actually further along he's been in the playoffs than he's ever been before.

Read on to see what happened in the past to prevent him from getting where he is today.

Is the ref for the Chiefs/Ravens biased??

Perhaps not towards a certain team, but it would seem that today's official, Shawn Smith, tends to favor road teams.

According to Sharp Football Analysis, home teams have only won in 40.8% of the games he's refereed in the last three years - the lowest win rate of any other official in the league. 

Could be coincidence, but maybe not. Home teams are just 37% against the spread in the last three years. I guess we'll see how today goes...

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Who is singing the national anthem at the Chiefs - Ravens AFC Championship Game?

You're in for a treat with today's singing of the National Anthem!

The kickers of the AFC Championship Game

All this talk about the elite QBs of this game, and rightfully so...but let's not forget the importance of the kickers. And this game has two of the league's best: Ravens kicker Justin Tucker and Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker.

Tucker is 32-of-37 this season and has never missed an attempt from under 40 yards.

Butker is even better on conversion percentage this season, making 33 of 35 field goal attempts. 

In fact, it was Butker who made the 45-yard field goal to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in last year's AFC Championship game and send the Chiefs to the Super Bowl. And in that Super Bowl, it was his 27-yard field goal in the final seconds that won them the game. 

You could say that Butker is clutch. 

INACTIVES for Ravens vs Chiefs AFC Conference Game

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS INACTIVES

WR Kadarius Toney

CB Keith Taylor

CB Ekow Boye-Doe

LB Willie Gay

DE BJ Thompson

G Joe Thuney

DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah

BALTIMORE RAVENS INACTIVES

QB Malik Cunningham

WR Tylan Wallace

CB Rock Ya-Sin

LB Del'Shawn Phillips

C Sam Mustipher

G Sala Aumavae-Laulu

QB Josh Johnson

T-Swift HAS LANDED

Taylor Swift is officially in Baltimore to cheer on Travis Kelce at the AFC Championship Game!

If the Chiefs win, she CAN be at the Super Bowl to cheer him on again on February 11, but it will be quite the quick turnaround as her Eras Tour wraps up in Tokyo, Japan on February 10.

Once that's over, she'll be right back on a plane to Melbourne, Australia to continue the tour the next weekend.

NFL

The logo prediction: Ravens to win Super Bowl LVIII

According to one, extremely popular, theory doing the rounds, the Super Bowl is going to be contested by the Ravens and the 49ers, with the Ravens going on to win it.

This is no “let a cute animal” decide which lettuce it would like to eat with logos on each leaf, oh no, this is far more, er, scientific, being based on the colors in the Super Bowl logo.

The theory has actually come up trumps in the last two years, predicting the teams in both Super Bowls, and since breaking out this year it’s still on track , with the Ravens and the 49ers coming through the post-season into the Conference games. 

Match-up of the oldies

John Harbaugh

John Harbaugh, at the helm of the Ravens for 16 years, has compiled a solid record of 172 wins against 108 losses, with a winning percentage of .614. Under the guidance of the NFL’s second oldest coach (61 years old), the Ravens have made the playoffs in 11 of his 16 seasons, reaching the AFC/NFC title games three times, and winning the Super Bowl once. Notably, Harbaugh was an assistant under Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles for 10 years, which adds an interesting mentor-protégé dynamic to their matchups.

Andy Reid

On the other side is the NFL’s oldest coach Andy Reid (65 years old) who has been leading the Chiefs for 25 years and has an even more impressive career record of 282 wins, 160 losses, and one draw, boasting a higher winning percentage. His playoff record is remarkable, with 24 wins and 16 losses, making him the second most successful head coach in playoff games. Reid has led his teams to the AFC/NFC title games 10 times and has appeared in four Super Bowls, winning two of them. Kansas City's recent success, including two Super Bowl wins in 2019 and 2022 under Reid's leadership, highlights his ability to build and maintain a top-tier team.

The head-to-head record gives Reid the edge at 5-2 over Harbaugh; this is the first time they’ve met in the post-season. Their coaching strategies and decision-making will be crucial in tonight’s matchup - both are known for their ability to adapt and innovate.

I have a feeling that Justin Tucker will somehow have the last laugh...

NFL

What punishment could the Chiefs face if they lied about Kadarius Toney having an injury?

By now you've heard the rant, right? 

If not, we've got it down below in this live feed as well as linked in this article. But in short, Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney posted a foul-mouthed rant to Instagram Live about how he's "not hurt", putting the Chiefs in a position to defend themselves for potentially inaccurately reporting an injury status.

Read on for the punishment they could be in for if the league finds them guilty of inaccurate reporting. 

Chiefs’ sixth straight AFC Championship Game, but...

The Chiefs are making the AFC title game an annual event, with this being their sixth consecutive appearance. If they win, they would make their fourth Super Bowl appearance in the Mahomes-Reid era.

But this time, they have a challenge they've not had before at this point in the postseason: they’re on the road, playing in Ravens territory. Though Mahomes proved last week that he can win a playoff game on the road (for the first time), facing this Ravens offense will be a whole other story.

“I ain’t no zombie”

Pacheco reacts to memes about him :D

NFL

Isiah Pacheco: Kansas City Chief’s RB’s college, draft pick, heritage, nickname, height and weight

Getting to know Isiah Pacheco

The Kansas City Chiefs running back is perhaps one of the more underrated RBs in the league, but not for long. He’s a rising star.

Find out more about the Rutgers alumn’s background.

NFL

Who is Andy Reid, the Chiefs’ head coach? Coaching record and Super Bowl appearances

Get to know Andy Reid, the Chiefs coach looking to make history

As the Chiefs overcame the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium, the 64-year-old became only the 14th man in league history to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy more than once as a head coach...

Read more: Reid out once again to make history

NFL PLAYOFFS

Chiefs - Ravens, NFL Playoffs en vivo: AFC Championship Game en directo

Ravens and Chiefs LIVE EN ESPAÑOL

To follow along with the Ravens and Chiefs game live in Spanish, check out our USA Latino colleague Gustavo García's live coverage!

What about Jason Kelce though??

We didn't think it was possible, but Taylor Swift's presence at the Kansas City Chiefs game last week was actually overshadowed by the unignorable presence of Jason Kelce, Travis Kelce's brother and Philadelphia Eagles center.

Not only did he take shots from a bowling ball at the pre-game tailgate, but he also jumped out of the box suite without his shirt on to celebrate his brother's touchdown.

He is now the official mascot for the Kansas City Chiefs. Move over, T-Swift and mad-looking wolf. Drunk bubba Kelce is in the building.

NFL

Will Taylor Swift be at the Chiefs’ game against Ravens? Is she in Baltimore now?

We know you've all been wondering if T-Swiftie will be making an appearance tonight to visit boyfriend, Chiefs TE Travis Kelce. 

Rain and low temps expected for Ravens-Chiefs

The Chiefs already had to deal with two bad weather games, playing in sub-zero temps at home when they beat the Dolphins, then defeating the Bills in their snowy home territory. Now they’ll have to do it again, going into Ravens territory on a rainy, frigid day.

Thankfully, it doesn’t seem snow will be in the forecast, but there is a 58% chance of precipitation and highs are only around 47 degrees. Wind gusts will be up to 22 mph and winds will be between 10 and 15 mph throughout the day.

NFL

How fast is Lamar Jackson? What’s the Baltimore Ravens’ QB’s 40-yard dash time?

Think you could catch Lamar Jackson?

The Baltimore Ravens will be relying on Jackson in their upcoming championship game. But if the Chiefs want to stop him, they’ll have to catch him first.

Mahomes and Lamar are in the building!

NFL

NFL Awards finalists 2023: MVP, Best Defensive Player, Best Offensive player, Rookie of the year...

Lamar for MVP, but who else is up for an award this season?

We know Jackson’s at the top of the list of NFL players to win the big NFL MVP award, but what about the others? Take a look at who he’s up against, plus those nominated for Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, and many more awards given at the NFL Honors on February 8.

[Jackson] is going to be the MVP for a reason. He leads his team. He scores, he runs, he throws, he does whatever it takes to win, and that’s what the greats do. It’s a challenge for our defense, but also a great challenge for our offense to keep up.”

Lamar Jackson for MVP

Jackson is the clear frontrunner to win the NFL MVP this year, with no other player even coming close. He’s on track to have career highs in passing yards and completion percentage. He helped the Ravens to the No. 1 seed in the AFC and passed for a career-high 3,678 yards and a 67.2% completion in the regular season.

He basically locked down this award with the Ravens 56-19 win over the Dolphins on New Year’s Eve. By then, he’d shown us enough. He didn’t even need to play again until the Divisional Round bludgeoning of the Texans.

This will be Jackson’s second time to win the MVP award. Here’s how his 2019 MVP season compares to his 2023 season as far as stats.

Passing:

2019: 66.1%, 3,127 yards, 7.8 ypa, 36 touchdowns, six interceptions, 113.3 passer rating

2023: 67.2%, 3,678 yards, 8.0 ypa, 24 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 102.7 passer rating

Rushing:

2019: 176 carries, 1,206 yards, 6.9 ypc, seven touchdowns, nine fumbles

2023: 148 carries, 821 yards, 5.5 ypc, five touchdowns, 11 fumbles

Well...seems Toney is not injured

WARNING: Lots of foul language in this tweet from Toney

Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney hopped on Instagram Live to let us know he is definitely NOT injured.

The Chiefs had reported that Toney welcomed his first child into the world on Saturday, but also said that he'd been dealing with a hip injury. Well, according to Toney, that last part is untrue. 

If the Chiefs did indeed make up a lie for some reason, there will be consequences from the league. More on that to come.

I don’t like competing against [Mahomes] at all. He’s definitely a Hall of Famer. But I believe it’s just two greats - up-and-coming greats - just going toe to toe, like a heavyweight fight.”

Mahomes vs Jackson: Epic quarterback battle

Are you guys as excited for this game as I am? It is the current AFC top seed vs the defending Super Bowl champs! Last year’s MVP winner Patrick Mahomes vs current MVP frontrunner Lamar Jackson. There are so many storylines going into this game. But my favorite is the quarterback matchup.

Mahomes vs Jackson: How do they compare?

This is the first time that Mahomes and Jackson will face each other in the playoffs. It’s also the first time that two past MVPs under 30 will face each other in the playoffs. I don’t think we’ll be disappointed.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been unstoppable this season. Just look at these stats:

• 4,499 total yards

• Career-high 3,678 passing yards

• Quarterback-high 821 rushing yards

• Career-best 67.2% completion rate

• Fourth-best passer rating of 102.7

• No. 1 in average yards per carry with 5.5

Jackson is now out to prove himself in the postseason, as he’s been 1-3 with five interceptions and just three touchdown passes so far. But in last week’s Divisional Round win over the Texans, he was at a career-best 121.8 quarterback rating and threw for two touchdowns and no interceptions, rushed for 100 yards, and two more touchdowns.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has had a tougher time this season without a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver, but even still, he’s managed to throw for 4,183 yards and 27 touchdowns. However, he’s thrown a career-high 14 interceptions and has a career-low passer rating of 92.6 with his receivers dropping the most passes in the league at 44.

He’s been excelling in the playoffs though, and always does. He’s 13-3 in the postseason with three Super Bowl appearances and two titles. In last week’s road win against the Buffalo Bills, Mahomes went 17-of-23 for 215 yards and two touchdowns.

The one big difference between Mahomes and Jackson is that Jackson initially had to prove he belongs at the quarterback position, with many questioning his passing abilities, whereas Mahomes’ has never been in question. But Jackson was persistent, and when he won the MVP award in 2019, he led the league in passing touchdowns with 36, putting that question to rest. Today, he’s out to make it to the Super Bowl and prove why he deserves to be in the same conversation about elite quarterbacks as Mahomes.

The Chiefs’ path to the AFC Championship Game

How did the Chiefs get here?

Despite this being their sixth-straight title game, the Kansas City Chiefs’ path to get here was not as smooth as it’s been in recent years.

Off to a rough regular-season start, they lost the season opener to the Detroit Lions, who are playing next in the NFC Championship Game. They went 6-1 to start the season, but then lost five of the next eight games after that. They finished the regular season at 11-6 to make it to the playoffs as the AFC West leaders. They then beat the Miami Dolphins at home and Buffalo Bills on the road in the playoffs.

Though the Chiefs offense has been weaker this year, it has been finding rhythm in the playoffs thanks in large part to TE Travis Kelce and RB Isiah Pacheco.

Throughout the Chiefs' two playoff games, Pacheco rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile Kelce caught 12 of 16 passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Mahomes and Kelce hold the record for most postseason touchdowns by a duo in NFL history with a total of 16.

The Ravens’ path to the AFC Championship Game

How did the Ravens get here?

The Ravens have looked like the best team in the AFC all season, and they were. They finished the regular season at 13-4 and the top seed in the AFC. Because of that they were given the first-round bye and then put up a dominant performance in the Divisional Round, beating the Houston Texans 34-10.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was phenomenal in that game, finishing 16-of-22 for 152 yards and two touchdowns through the air, plus another 11 carries for 100 yards on the ground and two rushing touchdowns. He’s currently the only QB in NFL history with three 100-yard rushing games in the postseason.

Welcome!

Good afternoon everyone and a warm welcome to the first game of NFL Conference Championship Weekend, the AFC Championship game between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs!

Kickoff is at 3 p.m. from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. It’s Jen here to bring you all the best pre-game buildup, live scores, stats, commentary, and highlights throughout the game, plus all the fallout from after.

The Super Bowl is on the line. Let’s go!