Kansas Metropolis Chiefs win AFC title for 4th time in 5 years

BALTIMORE — The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, who for many of this common season regarded extra susceptible than at any time since Patrick Mahomes turned their beginning quarterback in 2018, are going again to the Tremendous Bowl.

The Chiefs scored a landing on every of their first two possessions after which held on to beat the Baltimore Ravens 17-10, sending Kansas Metropolis to the Tremendous Bowl for the fourth time prior to now 5 years. In Las Vegas, they are going to tackle the San Francisco 49ers, who have been put in as 2.5-point favorites late Sunday night time at ESPN BET.

The Chiefs, who beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Tremendous Bowl LVIII final season, are searching for to be the primary staff to repeat as Tremendous Bowl champions because the 2004 New England Patriots.

“You do not take it as a right,” mentioned Mahomes, who was 30-of-39 for 241 yards and a landing. “You by no means know what number of you are going to get to or if you are going to get to any. So it actually is particular simply to do it with these guys after what we have been by means of all season lengthy. Guys coming collectively, it truly is particular. However I instructed them, ‘The job’s not accomplished.’ Our job now’s to organize ourselves to play a great soccer staff within the Tremendous Bowl and attempt to get that ring.”

The clinching play was a 32-yard go from Mahomes to Marquez Valdes-Scantling on third-and-9 with greater than two minutes remaining. An incompletion would have given the Ravens the ball with loads of time to tie or win.

The Ravens blitzed, and Mahomes lofted an ideal go for Valdes-Scantling. The Chiefs have been then in a position to run out the clock.

“It wasn’t arduous to name,” coach Andy Reid joked afterward. “Simply a few phrases. It was zero blitz. We knew it was going to be zero blitz or a minimum of had a good suggestion. You by no means actually know, however we thought we knew, and it was and it obtained MVS in a terrific place proper … to make the play.”

Tight finish Travis Kelce had 11 catches for 116 yards and a landing. Through the sport, he broke Jerry Rice’s document of 151 profession playoff receptions.

With a regular-season document of 11-6, the Chiefs misplaced extra video games than they ever have with Mahomes as their starter. They performed a number of sloppy video games, most notably a Week 16 house loss to Las Vegas wherein the Raiders scored each of their touchdowns on protection off Chiefs turnovers on back-to-back performs from scrimmage.

However common supervisor Brett Veach mentioned the loss to the Raiders served as a wake-up name for the Chiefs, who received their closing two regular-season video games and three extra within the playoffs.

“Typically, the worst issues that occurred to you or in your season turned out to be the very best factor,” Veach mentioned. “We have been discovering methods to win video games, however one thing was off, whether or not it’s offense or protection or particular groups. It simply wasn’t in sync, however we have been profitable and I feel generally that is simply deodorant …

“That loss I feel actually hit us and I feel it allowed the entire group to have a look within the mirror. So I actually level to that sport as actually being one of many key motivating components to only get everybody dialed in right here.”

Mahomes in some ways had the worst statistical season of his profession with a QBR of 63, a yards-per-attempt common of seven.0 and a career-high 14 interceptions. He was affected by issues round him. The Chiefs dropped extra passes than any staff within the league and have been second in offensive penalties. Among the many league’s highest-scoring groups lately, the Chiefs this season completed fifteenth in scoring at 21.8 factors per sport.

However within the three playoff video games, Mahomes has 5 touchdowns and nil interceptions.

After beating the Miami Dolphins at Arrowhead Stadium within the wild-card spherical, the Chiefs needed to play on the street for the primary time in Mahomes’ postseason profession within the divisional spherical in opposition to the Buffalo Payments. The Chiefs have been underdogs however defeated the Payments 27-24.