The Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens competed for a spot in the 2024 Super Bowl during the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, January 28.
The Chiefs ultimately won the game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, with a final score of 17-10. They will advance to Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, February 11, and will play either the Detroit Lions or the San Francisco 49ers, depending on the outcome of the NFC Championship Game later on Sunday.
Prior to the playoffs, the Ravens clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC for the 2023-2024 season, while the Chiefs fell to No. 3. In the postseason, the Ravens defeated the Houston Texans on January 20 to advance to the championship game after earning a bye week, and the Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills on January 13 and January 21, respectively, for a chance to play the Ravens.
Since Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson became the quarterbacks for the Chiefs and the Ravens, respectively, in 2018, their teams have played each other four times during the regular season, with a record of 3-1 in favor of the Chiefs. Sunday marked the quarterbacks’ first time meeting during the postseason.
After Mahomes, 28, secured the win against the Bills on January 21, he hinted at the respect he has for Jackson, 27, as they prepared to face off on the field.
“Every time I go up against [Buffalo Bills quarterback] Josh [Allen], I know that it’s going to come down to the end, just because of the competitor that he is and the player that he is,” Mahomes said during a post-game press conference. “Same when I go up against [Cincinnati Bengals quarterback] Joe [Burrow], when I go up against Lamar. … I know how much fire they have, and they’re not going to give up until the very end. You appreciate that stuff.”
Mahomes noted that his rivalries with his fellow quarterbacks reminded him of past NFL eras he experienced during his childhood. “These are the games I watched growing up — the great quarterbacks going up against each other with great football teams, great organizations. That’s what I remember,” he added. “Hopefully we’re making those memories for other little kids that are growing up watching football.”
Mahomes has taken the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game for six consecutive seasons, every year since he became the team’s starting quarterback. They previously won the game in 2020, 2021 and 2023, going on to win the Super Bowl in 2020 and 2023.
Under Jackson, the Ravens had yet to reach the AFC Championship Game until Sunday. By securing the top seed, the Ravens received home-field advantage, making it Mahomes’ first AFC Championship Game not to occur at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.