The Kansas City Chiefs find themselves in a very familiar place. The AFC Championship game. While some NFL fans may certainly feel exhausted of seeing this franchise compete in the conference championship game year in and year out, there's no denying that what the Kansas City Chiefs have done is simply remarkable. The team is now in their sixth straight AFC Championship, and while some may feel they have no chance of winning against the Baltimore Ravens, there are several reasons why that just isn't the case.
MAHOMES IS ELITE
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is simply an elite player. Haters can point to his stats this season and say he hasn't been good enough. Statistically, they might be correct. This is not one of Mahomes' best seasons in recent memory. He's actually thrown for the fewest amount of yards in his career since 2019.
In 2023, Mahomes has 4,183 yards passing. He has the most interceptions he's thrown in one season in his career, with 14 picks. He also has fewer touchdown passes than usual, with 27. Despite all of those stats, Mahomes has proven himself to be a winner. He's now 6-0 all-time in the AFC Divisional Round in his career. He completed that feat by going on the road for the first time in his playoff career and out dueling Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, en route to a 27-24 victory for the Chiefs over the Bills in western New York.
That win shows that there's something more to football that just the numbers on a stat sheet. There's something more than the touchdowns, and the interceptions. There's something called hunger. The will to win. The mindset that you are going to be better than your opponent, and simply beat them. Patrick Mahomes has that, and showed it in the Chiefs' win over the Bills. He's been to the AFC Championship in each season he's started for the franchise. That's simply unreal.
DEFENSE IS KING
There's an old saying that goes “offense wins games, but defense wins championships.” That saying has proven true before, and might just be proven true again. This season, the Chiefs defense is having a year to remember. The team gave up the second fewest points and yards per game during the NFL regular season, per ESPN. The Chiefs allowed 17.3 points a game in 2023, and only 289.8 yards per contest to opposing teams.
The defensive play translated into victories. The Chiefs went on a six-game winning streak at one point during the season, on the backs of their defense. On the year, the Chiefs gave up 20 points or less to opposing offenses 14 times in 17 games. That's truly incredible.
While the Chiefs are getting the job done on defense, they are not forcing lots of turnovers. That's what makes their play even more impressive. They are just simply getting stops. On the season, the Chiefs have forced 15 fumbles, which is not near the top of the league. The team only has 8 interceptions on the year, which is tied for third lowest in the league. Only the Titans and Packers had fewer interceptions this year than the Chiefs.
IT'S ALL BEEN DONE BEFORE
The Chiefs have an edge going into this AFC Championship game with the Ravens. They have been there SO MANY times before. As mentioned, this is their sixth straight trip to that round. Mahomes has won two Super Bowls, as has head coach Andy Reid. The stage isn't too intimidating for them, and that's something that is worth mentioning.
The Ravens, on the other hand, find themselves in a different position. Ravens coach John Harbaugh has won a Super Bowl, but it's been more than a decade since that happened. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is new to this stage. He does have the advantage of playing a home game for the AFC title, but he doesn't have the experience that will be on the other side of the field. He has never been to an AFC Championship game before. That can bring nerves, fear, and increase the propensity for mistakes. Time will tell if Jackson can rise to the challenge of the stage.
The Chiefs and Ravens play in the AFC Championship on Sunday, with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. The game kicks off at 3:00 Eastern.
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