The AFC Championship game is set to take place on January 28th, with the Kansas City Chiefs traveling to Baltimore to face off against the Ravens. The Chiefs have advanced to this stage for the sixth consecutive season, while the Ravens had a bye in the Wild Card round and defeated the Houston Texans 34-10 in their Divisional playoff game.
The two teams boast impressive defensive records, with both ranking second and first respectively in points allowed per game. The Chiefs' defense has been particularly stingy this season, allowing just 17.3 points per game and finishing second only to the Ravens who have conceded an average of 16.5 points.
The offenses also present a formidable challenge for both teams, with the Ravens ranking fourth in scoring offense (28.4 ppg) and sixth in total offense, while the Chiefs rank 15th in scoring offense (21.8 ppg) but ninth in total offense.
Quarterback play will be crucial to each team's success, with Patrick Mahomes leading the charge for Kansas City and Lamar Jackson spearheading Baltimore's attack. Both players have had impressive seasons, with Mahomes completing 67.2% of his passes for 4,183 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for an additional 389 yards.
Jackson has been equally effective in both passing and running the ball, throwing for 3,678 yards with a completion rate of 67.2% and adding another five touchdowns on the ground. He is also likely to win his second NFL MVP award this season.
The game will feature two of the league's most accurate kickers in Harrison Butker (Chiefs) and Justin Tucker (Ravens), who have made 94.3% and 86.5% of their field-goal attempts respectively.
Both teams are familiar with each other, having met seven times previously, with the Chiefs leading the series 7-5. However, Mahomes has a losing record against Baltimore (3-1) and will be looking to turn things around in this crucial matchup.