AFC Championship loss puts spotlight on Ravens' shortcomings
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore had planned a Purple Party but instead, there was a Red Rage following the AFC Championship Game.
The Baltimore Ravens squared off against the Kansas City Chiefs and lost 17-10 on their home turf of M&T Bank Stadium.
"The Kansas City Chiefs came in here and bullied the Baltimore Ravens—beat them at their own game," former Raven wide receiver Qadry Ismail said.
WJZ's Mark Viviano said the game was disappointing from the beginning until the bitter end.
This was the Raven's first-ever appearance at home for a conference title game.
Kansas City scored off the bat and the Ravens responded. After that, Lamar Jackson escaped a sack as he had done many times during the game, and he found Zay Flowers downfield 30-yard touchdown tied at 7-7 in the first quarter.
The Ravens did not reach the end zone again.
Kansas City didn't score after the half. They led 17-7 in the fourth quarter. Jackson threw to Zay Flowers, and that looked like an end-zone touchdown. Instead, though, it was a turnover as Flowers had the ball knocked from his hands at the goal line. Kansas City recovered it.
That attempt to score was thwarted, and the hits just kept on coming. Again, Flowers was in position to make a touchdown but his pass to the end zone was picked off by Deon Bush—the third of three Ravens turnovers. Turnovers and penalties tell the tale. It was one of the worst games the Ravens played this year.
"I was proud of them. I was proud of the season that they had," Ravens Coach John Harbaugh said. "I don't think it was a team that was too highly touted coming into this season by pundits and prognosticators and all that, and I think they proved a lot of people wrong all year. The message is, you know, eyes straight ahead your chin up your chest out, and understand what you did accomplish, and I'm proud of them."
Ismail said he noticed how Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes never got rattled and simply kept making the necessary plays for his team to get the victory.
"Let's give credit. Patrick Mahomes put on a masterclass, Viviano said. "There's a reason why he's probably Hall of Fame worthy already."
As great as the Chiefs' offense is, it's notable that they didn't score in the second half of the game, Viviano said.
"But they still beat the Ravens who only scored 10 points," he added.