KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs made many mistakes throughout the regular season, including dropped passes, penalties and miscommunication, but each time quarterback Patrick Mahomes said they almost put it all together. He confidently asserted that he had reached a certain point.
It looks like it's finally happened.
With three playoff wins, two on the road in the AFC's toughest conditions, the Chiefs played nearly flawless football and advanced to their fourth Super Bowl in five years. Sunday's 17-10 win over Baltimore ended the season, but the Chiefs played so perfectly that every Ravens slip-up was more damaging.
Baltimore had five personal foul penalties, two fumbles (including one through the end zone) and one interception in the end zone in the final minute.
“They basically played a perfect game,” said Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was sacked four times. “I felt like if we didn't turn the ball over, we definitely would have taken the shot. We definitely would have won. But they did a great job of not turning the ball over and scoring.”
The Chiefs turned the ball over in eight straight games, and their minus-11 point differential during the regular season was better than three other teams. Still, they made a perfectly timed save for the first time since November without a turnover.
The Ravens were flagged eight times for 95 yards, while the Chiefs were penalized just three times for 30 yards. Two of those were on consecutive holds by Trey Smith late in the first half, and Kansas City made field goals anyway.
Perhaps most surprising is that the Chiefs, who led the NFL with 44 dropped passes this season, had no dropped passes on Sunday.
The team, which lost five of eight games midway through the season, will now return to the Super Bowl and look to defend its title against the San Francisco 49ers on February 11th at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
“It's tough to repeat a season. It's tough,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “You have to get through it. You have to get through it mentally. It's not easy. I'm very happy with the players and how they've responded.
“When it was time to put the hammer down, they put the hammer down. It was important. The best part is it's not over yet. There's another game to come. You want this season to last as long as possible. I love you and we're there. Now we just have to get back on track and start sharpening.”
The Chiefs defeated the Ravens with wins in the trenches on both sides despite being without All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney with a pectoral injury. Kansas City held Baltimore to a season-low 81 rushing yards, which bodes well for the Chiefs to turn their attention to the 49ers and Christian McCaffrey.
The red zone has been an issue for the Chiefs all season. On Sunday, they trailed 4-and-1 against Baltimore 13 in the second quarter. Then, just before halftime, Smith converted two penalties and the Ravens were up to 23 points before Harrison Butker kicked a 52-yard field goal.
Some critics said Travis Kelce was distracted by his relationship with Taylor Swift, his podcast, and other off-the-field activities and missed a step. The four-time All-Pro tight end caught all 11 targets for 116 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens, one week after making a two-TD catch against the Bills in the divisional round.
Tight end Noah Gray and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire were given opportunities against Baltimore, but both struggled to get going. That's not an encouraging sign if Kelce or Isaiah Pacheco are injured in the Super Bowl.
Pass rusher Charles Omenihu injured his knee against the Ravens, but said in the locker room after the game that he “should” be ready to play by the Super Bowl. It was unclear Monday whether Thuney would be able to play by then.
This will be Kansas City's fourth appearance in the Super Bowl in the past five years. This is a rematch of the Chiefs' first game during that span, when they rallied to defeat the 49ers on February 2, 2020 in Miami.
