The Kansas City Chiefs had been there before, and the Baltimore Ravens hadn't.
That simple but crucial distinction is what ultimately made the difference in Baltimore during Sunday's highly anticipated AFC Championship game that went 17-10 to Kansas City.
Baltimore rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers had a great season, but he personified Baltimore's lack of experience in the moment.
His taunting penalty cost the Ravens 15 key yards on a pivotal drive down by 10. The Ravens should have punched it in anyway, but Flowers fumbled at the goal line when he tried to extend the ball over the plane of the end zone.
The Chiefs recovered the ball in the end zone, and Flowers cut his hand open in frustration when he slammed his helmet against the bench.
Kansas City, on the other hand, emanated poise and calm all day. Patrick Mahomes was surgical, unfazed early on by Baltimore's defense, and the Chiefs defense found answer after answer for Baltimore.
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Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo Had the Plan
Lamar Jackson's absurd individual effort in the first quarter to stay alive in the pocket to find Flowers wide open near the end zone when he escaped was one of just a few explosive plays the Chiefs allowed.
Spagnuolo's Chiefs defense is built around a blitz-heavy identity, and they delivered the exotic pressure looks and overwhelming rushes needed to throw Jackson off his game.
Several times members of the Ravens offensive line got beat or the unit simply didn't have an answer for the numbers being thrown at them.
Jackson was able to make some plays with his legs, but he was also often rushed into throwaways or poor decisions.
It didn't help matters that offensive coordinator Todd Monken nearly completely abandoned the ground game that made the Ravens so lethal on offense.
Baltimore never established itself as a threat to run for big yardage, and thus the play action and pre-snap motions they utilized did not have the same effect as usual.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce Did Enough For Kansas City
Much was made this season about how the Mahomes-to-Kelce combination had lost a step and not being as productive for the Chiefs offense as in years past.
That was certainly true, but Kelce was in vintage form on Sunday, even as he faced his toughest task yet with regular coverage from star safety Kyle Hamilton and other strong Raven defenders.
The Cincinnati alum hauled in 11 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown, passing Jerry Rice for the career postseason reception record in the process.
The Chiefs scored all 17 of their points before halftime, as they geared down offensively in the second half while Baltimore's defense began to make more plays.
But the zero in the final two quarters didn't matter, as Mahomes' strike to Kelce that made it 7-0 and a rushing score by Pacheco after a strip-sack of Jackson proved to be all the offense the Chiefs would need to win.
Kansas City did not need any late-game heroics from their Canton-bound duo, but is there much doubt that if they needed it, they would have gotten it and won regardless?
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