A win for Baltimore would send the Ravens to their first Super Bowl since 2012, where they defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII with a team led by quarterback Joe Flacco.
As for the Chiefs, they are no stranger to a Super Bowl in recent times. The current reigning Champions of the NFL after their Super Bowl victory against the Philadelphia Eagles last year, the Chiefs have played in three of the last four Super Bowls, winning two of them.
The Ravens come into this game as the technical favourites. The number one-seeded team in the AFC had a bye through the Wildcard Round of the Playoffs before defeating the Houston Texans 34-10 in the Divisional Round which saw them through to this AFC Championship game, where they gained home advantage due to their seeding.
The Chiefs finished the regular season with an 11-6 record which made them the third seed in the AFC. In the Wildcard round, they faced a strong Miami Dolphins team at Arrowhead who they comfortably beat 26-7. We then got to see Patrick Mahomes' side play on the road for the first time in the young quarterback’s career in the playoffs as they travelled to Buffalo to face the Bills.
However, a fantastic performance from Mahomes and his tight end Travis Kelce saw the Chiefs win 27-24 after Bills kicker Tyler Bass missed a field goal late on to tie the game and send it to overtime. Mahomes now faces the challenge of another game on the road in Baltimore which he will have to win to reach his fourth Super Bowl.
The Ravens have been nothing short of excellent this season. Quarter Back Lamar Jackson has played the best football of his career and with the help of receiving weapons Zay Flowers, Odell Beckham Jr, Mark Andrews and a fantastic running back in Gus Edwards, it is no surprise that the Ravens find themselves just one game away from the Super Bowl.
Although many would consider this season to be a poor one for the Chiefs in comparison to their last few seasons, they have been excellent so far in the postseason. With two statement wins against fantastic teams so far, it would be no surprise if they were to upset the Ravens and secure a spot for the big game in Las Vegas.
The Ravens need to make home advantage count more than ever if they are to defeat this Chiefs team. The Ravens' home support is nothing short of outstanding and it shows as the Ravens have only lost twice at home this season.
Team News
The Ravens will have their star tight end Andrews active for the game. Andrews has trained fully all week and has seemingly recovered from his ankle injury. Their big issue is regarding the fitness of cornerback Marlon Humphrey. After sustaining a calf injury, Humphrey was limited in training on Wednesday and Thursday. However, full participation in training on Friday means he is listed as questionable for today’s game.
For the Chiefs, their big blow is that offensive guard Joe Thuney has been ruled out of today’s game through injury. A vital part of their offensive line and they will certainly struggle without him. Kadarius Toney is also ruled out of the game with a hip injury. Running back Isiah Pacheco and linebacker Willie Gay have been listed as questionable for today’s game as their injuries are not as severe as Toney and Thuney’s.
The game takes place today in Baltimore at 3:00 pm EST (8:00 pm BST). The winner of this game will book their ticket to the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII which will take place on February 11th, 2024.
Either of these two sides will face the winner of the NFC Championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions which takes place later today.
