Travis Kelce caught a touchdown pass, set the NFL postseason record for receptions and the Kansas City Chiefs are off to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five seasons after recording a 17-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game.
Patrick Mahomes completed 30 of 39 passes for 241 yards and L’Jarius Sneed and Deon Bush had critical fourth-quarter takeaways for the third-seeded Chiefs.
Isiah Pacheco rushed for a touchdown for Kansas City, which won on the road for the second straight week.
Kelce caught 11 passes for 116 yards to give him 156 career receptions, claiming the all-time receptions mark from legendary Jerry Rice (151). He also matched the Hall of Famer with his eighth career 100-yard receiving game in the playoffs.
The Chiefs face either the San Francisco 49ers or Detroit Lions in Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas. The 49ers and Lions meet Sunday night in the NFC Championship Game.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was 20-of-37 passing for 272 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked four times. Zay Flowers caught five passes for 115 yards and a touchdown but also lost a fumble reaching for the goal line, resulting in a fourth-quarter touchback.
Roquan Smith racked up 16 tackles for Baltimore, which committed three turnovers while Kansas City didn’t commit any. Baltimore was penalized eight times, five for first downs, for 95 yards.
The Ravens moved within 17-10 on Justin Tucker’s 43-yard field goal with 2:34 left.
Any chance of getting the ball back evaporated when Mahomes lobbed a 32-yard completion to Marquez Valdes-Scantling just before the two-minute warning. The Chiefs took a knee three times to run out the clock.
Baltimore was trailing by 10 when it missed a big opportunity as Sneed forced Flowers to fumble at the Kansas City 1-yard line on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Chiefs’ Trent McDuffie recovered in the end zone for a touchback.
On the next possession, the Ravens reached the Chiefs’ 25 but Jackson threw into triple coverage toward tight end Isaiah Likely. Bush, in the game for only one previously play as a substitute for injured safety Mike Edwards, intercepted the pass in the end zone with 6:45 left.
Kansas City outgained the Ravens 221-110 while taking a 17-7 halftime lead.
The Chiefs struck first when Mahomes connected on a 19-yard touchdown pass to Kelce with 7:41 left in the first quarter. The touchdown catch was Kelce’s 19th in postseason play, leaving him three short of Rice’s record.
Baltimore knotted the score less than three minutes later when Jackson tossed a 30-yard scoring pass to Flowers. Jackson avoided a sack attempt by Leo Chanel before spotting Flowers behind the Kansas City defense.
The Chiefs took the lead on Pacheco’s 2-yard scoring run with 10:56 remaining in the second quarter. Kansas City traveled in dominating fashion, moving 75 yards on 16 plays in 9:02.
Harrison Butker tacked on a 52-yard field with four seconds left in the half.
–Field Level Media