We were privileged to see an outstanding quarterback duel last week but the Conference Championship one could be better. Patrick Mahomes flexed his credentials last week against Buffalo but he plays the probable MVP in Lamar Jackson who is leading these sharp Baltimore Ravens. There’ll be fireworks between these players and we’ll see which team will head to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
Patrick Mahomes has that ability to hush crowds and he did that last week against the Bills. I don’t think anyone thought the Chiefs would be playing in this game but Mahomes somehow finds a way to get the job done. He doesn’t have that talent they’ve had in other years but he always leads Kansas City to the big games. Last week, I thought the Chiefs were incredibly persistent. Buffalo had the ball for 37:03 minutes while Kansas City had it for 22:57 minutes which shows you that the Chiefs barely had the ball. Steve Spagnuolo’s defense must’ve been tired but they locked up the Bills in the final stretch of the game. The defense has that ability to give momentum to the team which takes a lot off Mahomes. They defended the pass well and limited Allen to only 186 passing yards. Diggs was shut down and they have to do the same to Zay Flowers. The only Achilles Heel they had was defending the run so they have to get that fixed up in time before they play a run heavy Ravens team. It’s a test for the front line to stay firm throughout 60 minutes and force Baltimore. They have to be better against quarterback runs because Allen averaged 6 yards a carry and now they play another speedy mobile quarterback. Chris Jones said on PFF, “if we make him(Lamar Jackson) throw it, we might shut them out”. I think that’s the game plan against Baltimore but it’ll be tough considering the Ravens scored 34 points last Saturday.
The defense has a tough task but so does the Chiefs offense against arguably the best defense in football. Pacheco was brilliant last week and kudos to Andy Reid to stick with the run. Pacheco had 15 carries for 97 yards and a touchdown last week and Kansas City will want another performance like this out of him. They have to use the run frequently in my opinion to slow the game and keep the ball out of Jackson’s hands. They play the best team in football but we know that the Chiefs play on a whole different level in the playoffs.
The Ravens convincingly beat the Texans last weekend and Lamar Jackson would want to replicate that performance. They ran the ball 42 times and had the ball for 37 minutes so they’re really hard to play against. Jackson’s offense can sustain drives and having long drives are the key so they can keep the ball out of Mahomes’ hands. I want to see them running the ball a lot this Sunday and they have to play by their strengths. If they can stretch this Chiefs defense, it can create a lot of room for the speedsters on Baltimore’s offense. They shouldn’t have to pass that much and if they do it right, it should be an easy afternoon for Jackson throwing the football. The great news for the Ravens is that Mark Andrews is expected to play and their terrific tight end is back in time for the Conference Championship. Likely was a good backup but Andrews is so much better and he’ll be a big threat through the air for John Harbaugh’s team. Jackson and Andrews have great chemistry and he’ll have a fun tight end duel with Travis Kelce.
On the defensive side for the Ravens, they’ve been tremendous all season long and they’re a scary defense to play against. The only thing for them is that they can’t let Mahomes dominate and run his show. This guy can create plays out of nowhere and he is the definition of game changing. They can easily lose this game if they can’t stop the defending Super Bowl champion and it’s huge for Mike Macdonald’s defense to get number 15 out of his comfort zone. The better they play, the more the crowd will react and they’ll want M&T Bank Stadium to be deafening when the Chiefs are on offense.
My prediction for this game is that the Ravens will win 30-27. There is something telling me in the back of my head to not count out Mahomes but I feel that the Ravens can get the win. They’re the more complete team and I think that the defense can stifle the magical Mahomes. Lamar Jackson is playing lights out and based on how well he is playing, nothing will get in their way. He’s gotten better at throwing the football and he’s more patient now. When he runs now, it’s a big more unpredictable and that’s part of the success Baltimore is having. Jackson will be electric and he’ll be the one to hoist the Lamar Hunt Trophy at the end of this. You can watch this game on CBS and Paramount+ at 3:00 PM EST on 1/28/24 from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland.
It seems fitting that two former MVPs will be playing for the right to be in the Super Bowl and it’ll be a memorable game. Will Andy Reid’s team head back to the Super Bowl to defend their title or will the 13-4 Baltimore Ravens be the ones to play in Vegas two weeks from now?
It’s gonna be “Clash of Titans” between Ravens and Chiefs.
I have a feeling that it will be a very close game and probably Ravens might have slight edge as it’s their home turf.
I am rooting for Ravens as it’s our local team and it will be their first Super Bowl appearance in probably ten years if they win todays game.
Excellent, detailed and informative analysis Raghav..!!