AFC Championship: Kansas City (13-6) at Baltimore (14-4)

AFC Championship: Kansas City (13-6) at Baltimore (14-4)

The 2024 AFC Championship Game features the Kansas City Chiefs against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Chiefs have advanced to their 6th-straight AFC Conference Championhship Game, which is the 2nd longest streak in NFL history and are seeking their 4th Super Bowl appearance in the past 5 years. Kansas City advanced to the AFC Championship game by defeating the Bills 27-24 on the road in yet another epic see-saw battle between the two teams.

The Ravens are hosting the AFC Championship Game for the first time ever and our looking to advance to their third Super Bowl ever in franchise history (XXXV & XLVII). The Ravens advanced by defeating the Texans at home. The first half ended in a 10-10 tie, but Baltimore dominated in the second half and cruised to an easy 34-10 victory thanks to Quarterback Lamar Jackson's 100 rushing yards and 2 rush touchdowns.

MVPs, Top Defenses Meet In Baltimore

Sunday’s AFC Championship in Baltimore between the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS and BALTIMORE RAVENS features former MVP quarterbacks PATRICK MAHOMES and LAMAR JACKSON. Mahomes earned the honor in 2018 and 2022, while Jackson won the award in 2019.

It will mark the fifth Conference Championship Game in NFL history featuring two former MVP quarterbacks and the first in which both quarterbacks are under the age of 30.

Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson will be facing one of the top defenses in the league this season. Baltimore led the NFL in scoring defense in the regular season, allowing 16.5 points per game, and in sacks, with 60. Kansas City ranked second in each category, allowing 17.3 points per game and totaling 57 sacks.

Sunday will mark the sixth Conference Championship Game in NFL history featuring the top-two scoring defenses from the regular season and the first since the 2004 AFC Championship Game (New England at Pittsburgh on Jan. 23, 2005).

Sunday’s contest will also be the third Championship Game all-time to feature the two teams with the most regular-season sacks, joining the 2015 AFC Championship (New England at Denver on Jan. 24, 2016) and 2004 NFC Championship (Atlanta at Philadelphia on Jan. 23, 2005)

Chiefs Seeking Historic Super Bowl Run

The KANSAS CITY CHIEFS are appearing in their sixth-consecutive Championship Game, the second-longest streak in NFL history. With a victory on Sunday, the Chiefs will become the third team ever to advance to four Super Bowls in a five-year span, joining the BUFFALO BILLS (1990-93) and NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2014, 2016-18).

Head coach ANDY REID has led the Chiefs to each of their last three Super Bowls and also brought the Eagles to Super Bowl XXXIX following the 2004 season. With a win on Sunday, Reid will become the fourth head coach in NFL history to advance to five-or-more Super Bowls, joining BILL BELICHICK (nine Super Bowl appearances) and Pro Football Hall of Famers DON SHULA (six) and TOM LANDRY (five).

Quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES has compiled a 13-3 record in his first 16 career postseason starts, totaling 38 touchdown passes and 4,561 passing yards with a 106.7 passer rating.

With a victory in Baltimore, Mahomes will tie Pro Football Hall of Famers TERRY BRADSHAW (14 postseason wins), JOHN ELWAY (14) and PEYTON MANNING (14) for the third-most postseason wins by a starting quarterback in NFL history. Only TOM BRADY (35) and Pro Football Hall of Famer JOE MONTANA (16) have more.

Three of Mahomes’ 13 postseason wins have come in the AFC Championship. With a win this week, Mahomes – who will be 28 years and 133 days old on Sunday – will become the youngest quarterback ever to win four Championship Games, surpassing TOM BRADY, who was 30 years and 170 days old when he won his fourth Championship Game.

With two touchdown passes on Sunday, Mahomes will tie Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (40 touchdown passes) for the fifth-most postseason touchdown passes in NFL history. Only TOM BRADY (88 touchdown passes), AARON RODGERS (45) and Pro Football Hall of Famers JOE MONTANA (45) and BRETT FAVRE (44) have more.

Since the beginning of last year’s postseason, Mahomes has totaled 10 touchdown passes with no interceptions in his past five playoff games. He can become the first quarterback in NFL history without an interception in six consecutive postseason games (minimum 20 attempts in each game).

Tight end TRAVIS KELCE enters Sunday with 145 receptions, 1,694 receiving yards and 18 touchdown receptions in his postseason career, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer JERRY RICE all-time in each category. With seven receptions at Baltimore, Kelce will surpass Rice (151 receptions) for the most postseason receptions in NFL history.

Last week in the Divisional round, Kelce totaled five receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns, his 12th consecutive postseason game with at least five receptions. With five catches at Baltimore, he will tie JULIAN EDELMAN (13 consecutive games) for the longest streak of postseason games with at least five receptions in NFL history.

Last week also marked Kelce’s fourth career playoff game with multiple touchdown receptions. If he accomplishes the feat again on Sunday, he will join Pro Football Hall of Famer JERRY RICE (five games) as the only players ever with multiple touchdown receptions in five postseason games.

Ravens, Jackson Rushing Into Championship Game

The BALTIMORE RAVENS are seeking their third Super Bowl appearance in franchise history and first since winning Super Bowl XLVII following the 2012 season.

In the regular season, Baltimore had the league’s top rushing attack, averaging 156.5 yards per game on the ground. With a victory against Kansas City on Sunday, the Ravens will become the fourth team since 1990 and first since SEATTLE in 2014 to lead the league in rushing and make the Super Bowl in the same season.

In the Divisional playoffs, quarterback LAMAR JACKSON became the first player ever with two touchdown passes, two rushing touchdowns, 100 rushing yards and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in a game. He also has recorded at least 100 rushing yards in three of his five career postseason games.

On Sunday, Jackson can become the fifth player in NFL history with at least 100 rushing yards in four of his first six career postseason contests, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers TERRELL DAVIS (five games), JOHN RIGGINS (five) and EMMITT SMITH (four) as well as MARSHAWN LYNCH (four).

Jackson has 467 career postseason rushing yards and can become the fifth quarterback in NFL history with 500 career postseason rushing yards, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer STEVE YOUNG (594 rushing yards), JOSH ALLEN (563), RUSSELL WILSON (527) and COLIN KAEPERNICK (507).

AFC Championship Prediction

It's a tough call, but one that needs to be made -- the Baltimore Ravens win 24-14. The combination of the Ravens dominant defense and Jackson's dual-threat capabilities will prove too much for the Chiefs even though, Mahomes and Reid should never be underestimated. A key turnover or clutch play in the Chiefs favor leads to a Chiefs victory. It's just this time the Ravens will dominate the game even though the final score will reflect a much closer game.

Related:

NFL 2024 - AFC & NFC Conference Championships