Patrick Mahomes shined brightest early and Kansas City’s defense racked up another triumph against Lamar Jackson and Ravens to reach Super Bowl 52.
Baltimore could not take advantage of Kansas City’s defense, which looked better than ever. Taylor Swift’s boyfriend quarterback Alex Smith excelled.
Patrick & Kelce at Their Magnificent Best in the First Half
Kansas City’s defense made up for any instances when they have seemed vulnerable, by producing another breathtaking performance and sending Patrick Mahomes on an outstanding performance picking apart Baltimore’s defense with quick passes that found Travis Kelce in an instant.
On Kansas City’s opening drive of the game, Kelce and Patrick collaborated to set the tone, with Kelce beating All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton for a 19-yard touchdown on a quick out route and Mahomes finding Kelce for 11 yards over the middle on fourth down – placing Kansas City at Baltimore 37.
On the next play, rookie Zay Flowers broke free for a 21-yard run that put Baltimore within 10 yards of Kansas City before being flagged for taunting and fumbling near the goalline. However, Charles Omenihu forced Jackson into fumbling again at Baltimore 33 yard line before Harrison Butker made it 17-7 with his 52 yard field goal.
The Defense Delivered Another Masterpiece
Patrick Mahomes began by attacking Baltimore with quick passes, finding Travis Kelce for several plays on several of them. Soon thereafter, however, the Kansas City defense now at their peak after some inconsistent seasons recently — took control.
At halftime, it was easy for the Chiefs to maintain control of time of possession and build up an 18-7 lead over their opponents, while their opponent saw several missed opportunities go by, including Zay Flowers fumbling near the goalline.
Patrick Mahomes led his team 75 yards in 9:02 to open up the second half, culminating with his 19-yard touchdown pass to Kelce that put the Chiefs ahead 27-10 and Isiah Pacheco’s 2-yard run, setting up their trip back-to-back appearances in the Super Bowl since New England Patriots achieved that feat 19 years ago. With this win, they join an exclusive club – New England Patriots 19 years earlier had reached three out of four Super Bowl finals in five seasons before returning 19 years ago after reaching two out of four consecutive finals on consecutive years – something New England has not achieved since.
Jackson Answered in His Own Spectacular Way
Kansas City may have had many moments this season where they appeared disjointed and vulnerable, yet now stand at within striking distance of becoming one of only three teams ever in NFL history to reach four Super Bowls consecutively within five years – joining Pittsburgh Steelers from 1970s and New England Patriots from 2000s as those three are the only other two examples.
The Chiefs jumped out to an early 17-7 lead thanks to Patrick Mahomes and their strong defense, both of which seemed unfazed throughout. Their dominance continued into the second half.
Jackson had some opportunities to make things interesting for himself and Mahomes in this game, including racing under one of his own tipped passes for a 13-yard touchdown reception but also turning over twice and forcing a pass into heavy coverage that Harrison Butker picked off, plus getting stopped short on fourth down runs with no gain on fourth down runs. Mahomes made up for these shortcomings with Marquez Valdes-Scantling scoring late in the game for another 32-yard score from him!
The Chiefs Missed Chances to Extend Their Lead
Kansas City’s defense was one of the primary factors in their victory. While neither team played flawlessly, Kansas City made few errors during the first half of this AFC title game and looked like they may become champions.
Jackson completed 20 of 37 passes for 272 yards and one touchdown, yet the Ravens never really exploited their apparent advantage on the ground. Jackson raced under one of his own tipped passes early in the first quarter for a 13-yard reception, yet also turned over twice, including forcing a pass into heavy coverage that Harrison Butker picked off late in the second quarter.
The Chiefs’ defense stymied any attempts at an upset in the second half, with Charles Omenihu forcing Jackson into fumbling a play later. Patrick Mahomes then drove 75 yards in 9:02 for their next drive with Travis Kelce scoring from three yards away while Isiah Pacheco caught a 54-yard pass for first down.
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