January 27, 2024
By Fred Liggett
sports.lstribune08@gmail.com
The Kansas City Chiefs visited Las Vegas over Thanksgiving weekend and returned home after beating division rival Raiders 31-17. The Chiefs took a good look around at Allegiant Stadium hoping to return on Feb. 11, 2024 to play in Super Bowl 58. The Chiefs now stand just one step away from accomplishing this goal. It’s a big step as it’s called the AFC Championship game where the Chiefs will head to Baltimore to play the Ravens for the right to advance to Las Vegas.
The KC Chiefs enter at 13-6, the Baltimore Ravens at 14-4. The Chiefs advanced thanks to a 27-24 win at Buffalo while the Ravens stayed home and beat Houston 34-10. The Chiefs are looking to keep yet another streak alive here in 2024. The Chiefs have won eight straight AFC West Division titles, appearing in their sixth straight AFC championship game and attempting to make the team’s second straight Super Bowl.
On site at M&T Bank Stadium will be CBS top announcing crew of Jim Nantz and Tony Romo to cover what is expected to be a highly rated broadcast. The Chiefs/Ravens series is an interesting one and currently sits overall at 7-5 in favor of the Chiefs. However the last regular season meeting which was played in September 2021 went to the Ravens at 36-35. 2 Fourth quarter TD’s by QB Lamar Jackson proved to be the difference. The last post-season meeting between the two teams took place in Kansas City back in January 2011. The result was a Ravens 30-7 victory in an AFC wildcard game.
Both the Chiefs and Ravens have enjoyed watching a rookie wide receiver excel in their first NFL season. For the Chiefs it has been Rashee Rice who totaled 938 yards second overall for the team this season. The Ravens saw WR Zay Flowers total 858 yards this season.
The Chiefs reported at Wednesday’s practice an injury report that included RB Isiah Pacheco, OG Joe Thuney, OL Trey Smith, CB Mike Edwards and LB Willie Gay. Only Thuney and Edwards are concerns for seeing action on game day. While plenty of media attention this week has been on the QB battle between Lamar Jackson and “Playoff Pat” as Patrick Mahomes is being called during this playoff run, expect the defenses to play a major role in who leaves the field with the Lamar Hunt Trophy. In two playoff games this month the Chiefs defense has only given up seven second half points. The Ravens shutout the Texans in the second half last week.
This is the first time Baltimore has been host to the AFC championship game since 1971 when they were known as the Baltimore Colts. This title game will be remembered as the day the Chiefs successfully took a big step and advanced to the big game in Las Vegas thanks to a close win over the Ravens. That’s What I REID Into It for this week.
