The Baltimore Ravens had worked all season to earn the top seed and home field advantage in the AFC playoffs. However, they were unable to take full advantage of their situation as they dropped the conference championship game to the Kansas City Chiefs. Linebacker Roquan Smith and the Ravens defense played effectively, but visitors were able to come through with a 17-10 triumph.

The Ravens had been favored to win, but they made a number of key errors in the second half when they had a chance to mount a comeback. Rookie wideout Zay Flowers fumbled the ball as he was about to cross the goal line for a key touchdown and he was also flagged for a taunting penalty after a 54-yard catch and run late in the third quarter.

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Additionally, MVP candidate Lamar Jackson threw the ball into double coverage in the end zone in the fourth quarter when the Ravens were trying to rally. That interception with less than seven minutes remaining hurt the Ravens badly.

Roquan Smith, the Ravens' leading tackler throughout the season, met the media after the game. He refused to throw any of his teammates under the bus. “It’s not pointing fingers. At the end of the day, we didn’t get the job done as a team.”

While he didn't blame any other individual players, Smith admitted that losing the AFC title game hurt badly. “It hurts. It sucks.”

The Ravens were 4.5-point favorites over the Chiefs, but they were unable to stop the Kansas City offense in the first half. The Chiefs built a 10-point halftime lead, but the Ravens could only manage a Justin Tucker 43-yard field goal in the second half.