2024 AFC title game While Ravens wilt under pressure Chiefs show title game experience and were not done

BALTIMORE -- The had the right where they wanted them, hosting the AFC Championship Game -- the first time it was held in Baltimore in 53 years -- in front of a raucous crowd in their own building. There was little doubt the team with the best record in the AFC was going to take care of busine s and further establish legacy.Too bad the other team had Andy Reid and .Even though the Ravens were the home team, their inexperience this deep in the playoffs showed throughout Sunday's 17-10 lo s to the Kansas City Chiefs at MT Bank Stadium. Baltimore scored a season-low 10 points and notched a season-high three turnovers. The Chiefs didn't have a turnover, though they didn't score a point in the second half of their victoryThe Ravens looked the part of the team that hasn't played in a conference championship game in 11 years. The Chiefs looked like the team that's been to six of these games in a row."Yeah, what I really want to say I can't say, but they earned it," Ravens linebacker said Trey Hopkins Jersey after the game. "When they needed critical plays, they made critical plays. They executed, we didn't. You can't do that in the playoffs. It comes down to every single play. "On every single play, you have to capitalize, and we didn't."The Chiefs made Damion Willis Jersey several plays that championship teams make. Patrick Mahomes threw a perfect pa s that only could snag in the back corner of the end zone for a touchdown on Kansas City's opening drive to give them an early 7-0 lead, one they would never relinquish. The touchdown catch was with Ravens safety in coverage, the first score Hamilton has given up all year.After the Ravens responded with a touchdown drive on their next po se sion, the Chiefs went right down the field for a 16-play drive of their own that resulted in an touchdown. Facing a third-and-5 on that drive, Mahomes found a diving Travis Kelce for a 10-yard gain that took the Chiefs to the Ravens' 17-yard line. It was a play championship teams make and a usual one for teams that go deep in the postseason every year.The Chiefs never relinquished the lead after the touchdown. The Ravens played comeback the rest of the way, making plenty of mistakes. In addition to the three turnovers, two of which were in the Tyler Boyd Jersey red zone in the fourth quarter, Baltimore punted on four straight po se sions (not counting end of half) and gained just 69 yards during the stretch.The Ravens had just six carries from running backs and 81 rushing yards total. With the 10-point deficit, Baltimore shied away from the identity that got it to the conference championship round in the first place.Did the Ravens pre s after the 10-point deficit?"We're trying to win. I don't think you're doing too much when you're trying to win out there," Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said. "We could have ran the ball. We were down, and we just tried to put points on the board, tried to get the ball down the field, and we've just got to make something happen." Pick Six Newsletter Crafted By The Best NFL Experts Get the day's big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information Clark Harris Jersey from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pre sing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the and acknowledge Paramount's . Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error proce sing your subscription. In what has been uncharacteristic of Jackson this season, he threw a pa s in triple coverage to with 6:45 left in the fourth quarter facing that same 17-7 deficit. On the po se sion before that, when the Ravens were trying to get something going, caught an 8-yard pa s and fumbled the ball at the 1-yard line. The Chiefs recovered and the Ravens came up with nothing.Earlier in that drive, Flowers caught a 54-yard pa s to ignite the dormant Ravens offense and put Baltimore at the Kansas City 10-yard line. He taunted Chiefs cornerback at the end of the play, resulting in a 15-yard penalty that sent the Ravens back to the Chiefs' 25.That penalty was one of five personal foul infractions by the Ravens, and eight on the afternoon for 95 yards. The Chiefs had just three penalties for 30 yards. Baltimore looked like the team that was new to the final four. Kansas City has been there and Chris Baker Jersey done that at this stage. Though 60 minutes of football, the experience between both teams showed."You played a lot of football games. You've got to work through that. You got to work through that mentally. That's not an easy thing," Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. "I'm so happy for the guys and how they handled that. When it came time to put the hammer down, they put the hammer down, which was important."The best part is we're not done. We've got another game. You love these seasons to carry on as long as they can po sibly carry on. And we're there. Now we've got to get right back at it and start grinding for whoever wins this game here."