Despite a season in which the ship could have capsized and taken on water several times, the Kansas City Chiefs secured their place in the Super Bowl on Sunday for the fourth time in five years. Patrick Mahomes took matters into his own hands, furling the rudder to port to send his crew heading toward Las Vegas.
There are those athletes capable of standing up in big moments. Examples like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Tom Brady are obvious. We will now have to add the name of Patrick Mahomes to this prestigious list. In his sixth season as a starter for the Chiefs, the 28-year-old quarterback will already participate in his fourth championship game by virtue of a 17-10 victory against the Baltimore Ravens.
Travis Kelce doesn’t play the same role as Mahomes, but the tight end is another essential part of this team used to playing important games. Kelce, under the eyes of his sweetheart, was the spark for the winners at the start of the match.
He converted the first fourth down of the game, scored the first touchdown on a 21-yard catch and single-handedly generated almost half of his team’s total yards in the first half. With his 11 catches, Kelce passed Jerry Rice as the NFL’s all-time playoff receptions leader.
However, the Ravens had a legitimate chance of winning. Their defense was the best of the season, allowing only 16.5 points per game. But the Chiefs scored almost the equivalent in one half of the game. Baltimore’s execution was messy and, given expectations, disappointing. In the first quarter, in particular, Patrick Queen, Roquan Smith and company seemed paralyzed, amazed and hypnotized by the magic and virtuosity of Mahomes. Like the public during Arturo Brachetti’s glory years.
After 30 minutes, Mahomes had completed 20 of 25 passes for 161 yards. At M&T Bank Stadium and on social media, Ravens fans were discouraged and exhausted of optimism. The Chiefs are in a class of their own in this type of game. The score was 17-7 at halftime, but under the circumstances, Baltimore limited the damage, as the Chiefs had possession of the ball 11 minutes more than their rivals.
Disappointing Jackson
It’s hard to believe that Andy Reid didn’t force his players to watch tapes of the Tom Brady and New England Patriots offense.
The game plan and schemes employed by the Chiefs, similar to those of the most prolific team in football, were applied to the letter. Keep the ball as long as possible, play on the ground without forcing the game and target safe values on third down. Eight times Mahomes converted third downs into offensive restarts.
PHOTO MATT SLOCUM, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Patrick Mahomes (15)
The quarterback played simple, smart football. The Chiefs’ other touchdown was the work of Isiah Pacheco, by running, at the start of the second quarter.
And if the quarterback and his cohorts played up to the moment, their experience and their talent, the underrated defense of the Chiefs was imperial for the rest of the game, protecting their narrow lead.
Second in the NFL in points allowed, just behind its opponents of the day, the visitors’ defensive unit made the Ravens look like a novice team.
Nothing worked for the Baltimore offense. Especially in tense moments. Lamar Jackson and his team converted only three of their eleven plays on third down.
Only Zay Flowers scored late in the first quarter on a 30-yard pass from Jackson. For the rest, the Chiefs ensured from start to finish. In addition to this sequence, the season’s MVP was completely muzzled.
The Ravens crash
Moreover, this same Flowers perfectly illustrates what the Ravens will have to wait at least another year before playing in the Super Bowl: inexperience.
After a very long deep zone catch by the Chiefs late in the third quarter, the longest and most explosive play of the game for the men in purple, Flowers pushed cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the ground and spun the ball. right next to it in his face before taunting him.
PHOTO TOMMY GILLIGAN, USA TODAY SPORTS VIA REUTERS CON
Zay Flowers (4) and Trent McDuffie (22)
The rookie was assessed a misconduct penalty, and the Ravens backed out of the penalty area 10 yards, limiting their chances of scoring another touchdown.
But as karma is real, Sneed fumbled the ball to Flowers at the one-yard line as Flowers dove to try to get into the end zone. This was only 40 seconds after the offense.
Later, halfway through the final quarter, backup Deon Bush intercepted a Jackson pass intended for Isaiah Likely in the end zone. The first and only interception of this association final.
The Ravens felt the heat and started to be more reckless, more fiery and more creative only in the last quarter. These three qualities have made them the best team in the NFL this season. But with their backs to the wall, and against a better-established team, Baltimore became distorted. The Ravens played like the team they never were.
They finished the game with 81 rushing yards, well below the average of 156 per game which had allowed them to dominate the NFL in this regard.
By winning so easily on the road, what’s more, Andy Reid’s men proved to what extent we should never doubt them again.
Nothing is over yet for the Chiefs. Still, this other presence at the Super Bowl testifies to their domination and their place in the history of the NFL. If they were to win in two weeks, bringing up the word “dynasty” to describe this unstoppable team would be entirely apt.