Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) holds the Lamar Hunt trophy after winning the AFC Championship football game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City Chiefs beat the top seeded Baltimore Ravens 17-10 to claim the AFC championship on Sunday and earn a trip to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five years.
Patrick Mahomes completed 30 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown that to Travis Kelce in the first quarter that had pop star girlfriend Taylor Swift jumping up and down in jubilation in a private box at Baltimore’s at M&T Bank Stadium.
The Chiefs now head to Las Vegas for the Feb. 11 Super Bowl where they will defend their crown against either the San Francisco 49ers or Detroit Lions who meet later on Sunday in the NFC championship game.
No team has won back-to-back NFL titles since Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to Vince Lombardi trophies in 2004 and 2005.
“It’s been a heck of a year, we’re not done yet,” said Mahomes. “We’ve been underdogs the last few games but we never feel like underdogs.
“We’ve got a lot of guys on this team that know how to win.
“When the playoffs came around we were going to make it happen and now we’re in the Super Bowl the job’s not done.”
American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift (center) walks off the field after the Kansas City Chiefs won the AFC Championship football game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The first Super Bowl held in Las Vegas is already expected to be one of the splashiest football-fests ever but the buzz around America’s biggest party is sure to be dialled up a few notches with Swift and her legion of fans known as ‘Swifties’ on board.
The AFC championship was highlighted by a marquee quarterbacking matchup between Mahomes, the twice and reigning NFL most valuable player and Lamar Jackson, who claimed the honour in 2019 and is favoured to add another for his work this season.
The Chiefs, playing in their sixth straight championship game, were quick out of the blocks, Mahomes hitting favourite target Kelce with a 19-yard touchdown strike to cap an 81-yard opening drive.
The Ravens answered right back needing just six plays to find the end zone, Jackson pulling off a Houdini-like escape avoiding a sack then finding Zay Flowers for a 30-yard touchdown.
The furious early pace continued with Mahomes engineering a clinical nine-minute drive on Kansas City’s next possession that spanned parts of both the first and second quarters and finished off with Isiah Pacheco powering over from the two.
Helped by two personal foul penalties by Baltimore the Chiefs were able to add to their lead just before the half on a Harrison Butker 52-yard field goal sending the visitors in the half up 17-7.
The Ravens and Chiefs finished the regular season with the two top-ranked defences allowing the fewest points per game, and scores were hard to come by in the second half.
Baltimore’s sputtering attack looked ready to come back to life late in the third quarter when Jackson hit Flowers with a big 54-yard pass play to get into scoring position.
Jackson would look Flowers’ way again but just inches from the goal line the receiver would fumble turning the ball over to Kansas City.
Their next possession and driving again Baltimore would again turn the ball over, Jackson intercepted by Chiefs Deon Bush in the end zone.
Baltimore would add some suspense with a Justin Tucker 43-yard field goal trimming the Chiefs’ lead to 17-10 with 2:34 to play but could not complete a storybook comeback.