The AFC Championship game is now set! The number one seed Baltimore Ravens will face the defending Super Bowl champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, next Sunday, Jan. 28, at 3 p.m. ET.
Sunday's Matchup will mark Jackson's first time in the AFC Championship game, while the Chiefs look to make the Super Bowl for the fourth time in the Andy Reid-Patrick Mahomes era.
NFL AFC Championship Ravens Vs. Chiefs: Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are coming off a historic performance Saturday, defeating an exciting Houston Texans team 34-10 in the AFC Divisional playoff game. Jackson was spectacular with four touchdowns (two passing and two rushing).
Meanwhile, Raven's defense played a great game, limiting mistakes on their side of the field and making Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud uncomfortable throughout the contest. The defense had a strong performance against the Texans, resulting in their second-lowest yardage of the season.
The Ravens went on a run, scoring 24 unanswered points after the first half; blowing the game wide open in the third quarter against a talented Texans club.
Baltimore was great all season leading to the moment, ruling over the AFC with a 13-4 record. Now they look to stop Mahomes and the Chiefs from getting to their fourth Super Bowl.
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NFL AFC Championship Ravens Vs. Chiefs: Kansas City Chiefs
On Sunday, the Chiefs cashed their ticket to the AFC Championship game for the sixth time during the Mahomes and Reid era, defeating the Buffalo Bills 27-24 and ending the Bills' Super Bowl hopes yet again.
The highly anticipated game went down to the wire with the Bills having several chances to close the game out. However, in the end, Tyler Bass missed a 44-yard field goal with 1:44 remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the game, which led to the bill's downfall allowing the Chiefs to close it out.
Mahomes finished throwing 17-23, 215 yards, and two touchdowns, Kelce having the two touchdowns to help the Chiefs edge out the Bills.
Now, the defending champs will look to take a trip to Baltimore to take on the top-seed Ravens.
NFL AFC Championship Ravens Vs. Chiefs: Preview
Sunday's epic matchup would be the first time Jackson and Mahomes would meet in the AFC Championship game.
For the Chiefs, a second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl is on the line, while for the Ravens, Lamar would be leading the franchise to their third with a win at home against Kansas City.
A key for the Chiefs is to contain Lamar Jackson and Raven's high-octane offense. Jackson had one of his best seasons statistically, throwing and rushing the ball. He's proven to be the heart of that offense and showed in Saturday's win against the Texans.
Despite winning, the Chiefs struggled to contain Josh Allen, who ran all over the Chief's defense in their matchup with 72 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Suppose the Chiefs want to have any hope of making another Super Bowl, they'll have to work on containing dual-threat quarterbacks as they face the best in Jackson.
Slowing down the Raven's offense, one that has scored 30 points or more in eight of their last eleven games, should be a difficult task. A large part in stalling the Ravens offense could be getting Jackson to either commit to the run game or make him a passer, attempting to eliminate the dual-threat ability.
For the Ravens, the defense has to continue to play at a high level against the Chiefs. The Ravens defense was able to make big-time plays, allowing zero offensive touchdowns in the divisional round against the Texans.
Baltimore led the league in sacks this season, it's possible the game plan would be to attempt to make Mahomes uncomfortable in the pocket, doing what other opponents have failed to do, pressuring Mahomes.
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