The defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs went into M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland as an underdog on a cold and rainy Sunday afternoon. In order to reach his fourth Super Bowl in six years of starting at quarterback for the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes would have to beat the soon-to-be MVP Lamar Jackson and the number-one rated Baltimore Ravens defence in the NFL. Tensions were high pre-game as videos littered social media of Ravens’ kicker Justin Tucker attempting to practice kicks where Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce were warming up. Kelce would then be shown tossing Tucker’s kicking equipment to the side. Numerous other flair ups between different players were shown throughout the pre-game. This had the makings of an all-time classic AFC Championship game.
The first quarter did not disappoint. On the first Chiefs drive, they marched down the field with surgical throws and strong runs. The ten play, eighty-seven yard touchdown drive was completed with a beautiful throw and catch by Mahomes and Kelce. The Ravens immediately responded with a six play, seventy-five yard drive. It seemed like a definite sack on Lamar, but his special scramble abilities allowed him to survive long enough to find rookie Zay Flowers for a thirty yard touchdown. The game was tied and the Bank was rocking.
Comprising the final phases of the first quarter and extending into the second quarter, the Chiefs responded with another surgical drive. Isiah Pacheco would punch in the touchdown at the goal line to restore the Chiefs’ touchdown lead. At this point, the Ravens seemed to have changed everything they wanted to do coming into the game. Lamar is a special talent. The soon-to-be two-time MVP is the greatest scrambler of the ball ever. He showed his ability in the Divisional game against the Texans where he ran for two touchdowns and one hundred yards. Instead of using his superpower, the Ravens had him standing in the pocket looking to throw. Lamar would fumble the ball as Charles Omenihu got free and knocked the ball out.
Everything went downhill at this point. Although the Ravens were able to turn the Chiefs over on downs the next possession, they could not move the ball at all. The Chiefs would add a field goal through incomprehensibly amateurish personal foul penalties by the Ravens’ defence that gifted the Chiefs the necessary field position. At 17-7, it felt like the Ravens were still in it, but everyone knew halftime adjustments would be key in mounting a comeback. Ravens’ coach, John Harbaugh, had won a Super Bowl over a decade ago for the Ravens and was seen as one of the best coaches in the league. Offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, had been praised for improving Lamar throughout the regular season.
The Ravens made no offensive adjustments coming out of halftime. The defence held Mahomes and the Chiefs to zero points in the second half. The Ravens had one big play the entire game. Lamar found Flowers on busted coverage for a huge fifty-four yard gain. But Flowers would taunt the Chiefs defender, resulting in a personal foul and a loss of fifteen yards. Lamar would find Flowers again and while lunging into the endzone, the rookie fumbled the ball out of the endzone. The Ravens would get no points on that drive. In another endzone trip in the fourth quarter, Lamar would throw an egregious interception into triple coverage. Ultimately, the Ravens would add a field goal, making the final score 17-10. The Chiefs and Taylor Swift would be going to Vegas, while the Ravens once again flamed out in the postseason.
The post-game narratives have been intriguing. For Mahomes, the GOAT talk has reached its highest peak. The talk may be slightly premature, but if you are truthful and believe your eyes, Mahomes is the most talented quarterback that has ever played. Even if Brady has seven Super Bowls and basically every quarterback record in history, our eyes do not lie. As a starter, Mahomes has never not been in the AFC Championship game. His resume is becoming mythical and Brady’s seven may actually be in reach. However, we must also give credit to the Kansas City defence who had a plan to contain Lamar. If Lamar is a weaker thrower than a runner, keep him in the pocket. The Chiefs used every conceivable scheme possible to ensure that strategy was maintained.
For Lamar, the narrative is justified but also unwarranted. In American football, the head coaches and coordinators have the power to call plays. The quarterback is allowed to change the play at the line if they feel the defence has an exploitable weakness. Apparently the Chiefs scoring two touchdowns on their first two drives completely changed how Baltimore wanted to play offensively. The Ravens looked shook. They completely forgot how they got to this point. The number one rushing attack in the NFL decided to run their backs six times in the entire game. Never had the Chiefs created an insurmountable lead. To add further insult, the weakness of the Chiefs was their ability to stop the run.
Lamar is getting crucified for not being able to win playoff games. Part of that has to do with his skill set. In my opinion, Lamar is not a great pocket passer due to his inability to make quick decisions. However, it would be inaccurate to place that only on Lamar. As a coordinator, you must understand the strengths and weaknesses of your players. Why were there no designed runs for Lamar? Why did you not run the ball more to open up the passing game? Why are your receivers running deep routes when, throughout the game, you have seen your offensive line getting blown up in pass protection? Lamar should get a reasonable slice of the blame, but it cannot be all on him.
In the end, Mahomes will get most of the glory despite scoring zero points in the second half. He was great in the first half and made no mistakes throughout the game. His defence rose to the occasion and contained the soon-to-be league MVP to a single touchdown. Lamar will get all the blame for not being able to win in the playoffs. His interception was his fault, but the fumble and continued immaturity defensively was on the coaches. To purposely play to the weakness of your quarterback and your team is malpractice. As a note, every two-time league MVP has won a Super Bowl. Lamar will be joining the club without a championship. For the quarterback everyone said should only be a running back, good luck.