The Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens faced off in the 2023 AFC Championship Game, and the Chiefs, once again, came out on top 17-10. The win marks the fourth Super Bowl trip in the last five seasons.
Despite the Ravens being strong favorites coming into the game, the Chiefs’ defense was too much for the Ravens to overcome. How did the Chiefs get it done once again?
Chiefs’ Defense Dominates En Route to Super Bowl Appearance
The game started looking like it would be one to remember. The Chiefs and Ravens both combined for three touchdowns on the first four drives of the game, with the Chiefs scoring two of them.
The first touchdown of the day was a 19-yard score from Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce. On the day, Kelce caught 11 passes for 116 yards and the TD. His 11 receptions gave him the postseason all-time record for receptions with 156, passing legendary wide receiver Jerry Rice, who had 151.
“Shout out to Jerry Rice, baby. The Chiefs are still the Chiefs,” said Kelce during the game’s trophy ceremony. “You’ve gotta fight, for your right, to paaaartyyyy.” Following the game, Kelce was met by his brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, who had one message for him: “Finish this mother f***er.”
After a punt on their first drive of the game, the Ravens responded to the Chiefs’ touchdown drive with a 30-yard passing score from Lamar Jackson to Zay Flowers. However, that would be the only TD the Ravens would score the entire day.
MORE: Travis Kelce Breaks NFL Playoff Records and Leads Chiefs Back to Super Bowl
A big part of the Chiefs’ defensive dominance was the turnovers they forced. They forced three in total: two fumbles and one interception. The biggest of them all was Flowers’ goal-line fumble on the first play of the fourth quarter. “Spags, that defense, man. They were dirty tough,” said Chiefs head coach Andy Reid following the game.
Punched out at the goal line 😱
📺: #KCvsBAL on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/IIZbdmhqNS pic.twitter.com/4Wr5E52AWT— NFL (@NFL) January 28, 2024
Jackson ended the regular season as the heavy favorite for the NFL’s MVP award. However, against the Chiefs’ defense, he passed for just 272 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. His interception came in the end zone with just 6:54 remaining in the game.
The Chiefs also dominated the Ravens’ run game, one of their best qualities. Jackson led the Ravens in rushing with eight carries for 54 yards. Past Jackson, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, and Flowers all combined for eight rushes for 27 yards, no touchdowns, and a fumble. Jackson also had a fumble of his own.
The Chiefs’ defense in 2023 is the best Mahomes has ever played with. The Chiefs had the NFL’s second-ranked defense in total defense. They allowed just 289.8 yards per game and 32 touchdowns on the season. Their defense has allowed just five total touchdowns in three games this postseason.
On top of limiting Jackson and the Ravens’ run game, the Chiefs also were able to bring down Jackson in the pocket. The Chiefs’ four sacks of Jackson was the most he’d taken since Week 8, when the Arizona Cardinals also sacked him four times.
One of the major stories for the Chiefs this postseason has been their traveling on the road. Prior to 2023, the Chiefs had never traveled for a postseason game in the Mahomes era. Now, they’ve traveled twice, going 2-0. “I knew going on the road, we were going to be okay. We have a lot of dogs in that locker room,” said Mahomes.
The Chiefs will now have two weeks to prepare for the Super Bowl. They will face the winner of the NFC Championship Game, either the Detroit Lions or San Francisco 49ers. The Super Bowl will kick off in Las Vegas at 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
As the 2023 NFL season comes to a close, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!