The Baltimore Ravens will face their toughest test when they meet the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at the M&T Bank Stadium.
To become the best, you have to beat the best.
The Ravens have the home advantage for their higher finish after the regular season. The Chiefs are also more spent as they are coming into their third game of the postseason, while the hosts are only in their second by a bye advantage.
Lamar Jackson is laser-focused in his quest to capture his first-ever Super Bowl. This is the closest he can get to the evasive award.
The team needs to be extra focused to get one against the Chiefs. For now, they are -3.5 favorites to win. However, that is a precarious handicap. The game can flip over at any point of the game with Patrick Mahomes as the leader of the Chiefs.
Coach John Harbaugh's squad can assure themselves of a Super Bowl appearance if they manage to overcome these main problems.
1. Slow start
The Chiefs are leagues better than the Houston Texans, whom the Ravens beat in the Divisional Round. This is why they can't afford to have another slow start like what happened last week.
The Ravens had to scramble in the second half of that showdown following a 10-10 tie at the half.
Read more: Chiefs vs. Ravens AFC Championship Odds, Spread, Betting Lines, Pick and Preview for NFL Playoffs
They can't afford to trail. The Chiefs, too. The opponents tend to open the game slowly, which leaves them cramming and focusing on defense instead.
Against the Buffalo Bills, the Chiefs allowed 5.7 yards per play and a staggering 41 plays.
The slow start also cost the Chiefs their December game against the Bills. It was the third time in three weeks that they trailed in a game.
2. Letting Mahomes control the game
Jackson put it best. Mahomes is a freak.
"I don't like competing against him at all," Jackson said with a laugh. "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."
The two-time Super Bowl winner always plays at a higher level when going up against the Ravens. Against Jackson, he recorded 340 passing yards in four meetings.
He is the second-least sacked quarterback this season. Ravens' secondary needs to give it more than their 100 percent to prevent Mahomes from controlling the game.
He can toy with the Ravens' defense, as he has a selection of receivers who can turn it up once they get to the right spot.
3. Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco, Rasheed Rice
If the Ravens cannot contain Mahomes, they should take care instead of these trio.
Kelce (targeted 121 times by Mahomes for 93 catches and 984 yards) gets the bulk of attention, but Pacheco has been lighting it up in the last two games for the Chiefs.
The sophomore running back, averaging 6.8 yards per game and 4.6 per attempt, is second in the postseason for rushing yards with 186. His activity opened up a downfield passing game for the Chiefs, giving Mahomes more options.
Rasheed Rice is another favorite target for their QB1, getting targeted 102 times this season for seven touchdowns and 938 receiving yards.
Related article: Patrick Mahomes vs Lamar Jackson Stats - How These Elite QBs Stack Up Against Each Other
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