If the Ravens are going to keep their season alive, they’re going to need to pull off a comeback in the second half.
The Chiefs opened the scoring with a Travis Kelce touchdown catch and they got the final points in the first half when Harrison Butker hit a 52-yard field goal with four seconds left in the second quarter. That gave them a 17-7 lead heading into the break at M&T Bank Stadium.
A pair of Ravens penalties helped put the Chiefs in scoring position. Kyle Van Noy was flagged for unnecessary roughness after making contact with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce while Kelce jawed with linebacker Roquan Smith and defensive tackle Travis Jones hit Patrick Mahomes in the head on a pass rush. Back-to-back holding penalties by Chiefs guard Trey Smith ensured that the Chiefs wouldn’t reach the end zone for the third time in the afternoon, however.
The Chiefs opened the game with touchdowns on their first two possessions and looked set to blow things open when the Ravens defense came up with its first stop of the day. After the Chiefs went up 14-7 in the second quarter, defensive end Charles Omenihu stripped Lamar Jackson on a sack and George Karlaftis recovered on the Baltimore 33-yard-line. The drive moved inside the 15, but Isiah Pacheco was stuffed for no gain by Kyle Hamilton.
Jackson avoided another turnover on the next drive by making a play that will be shown on his highlight reels for years to come. Chiefs safety Justin Reid batted a pass into the air and it looked like it might hang up long enough for a Chiefs player to intercept it, but Jackson swooped in to catch the ball and pick up 13 yards on his first NFL reception. The Ravens’ drive stalled from there, though, and the Ravens couldn’t move the ball after forcing a three-and-out on the ensuing Chiefs possession.
Mahomes is 20-of-25 for 161 yards and a touchdown to Kelce, who set a record with his 152nd career playoff catch. He has nine catches for 96 yards overall and the Chiefs have outgained the Ravens 221-110 thus far. The Ravens only ran 22 offensive plays on their way to those yards.
The Chiefs will get another chance to add to their lead to open the third quarter, so the Ravens will need their defense to step up again while avoiding the penalties from late in the first half. The Chiefs’ own defensive efforts will be affected by Omenihu’s departure with a knee injury, but they’ve shown more resistance to this point in the game and the Ravens can’t wait long to find something that’s working a little better for them.
