Chiefs’ DL Chris Jones is ready for Super Bowl LVIII

On Sep. 24, Kansas City Chiefs DL Chris Jones signed a 1-year deal worth up to $25 million. Could Jones be the x-factor in Super Bowl LVIII?

On Sep. 24, Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones signed a one-year deal worth up to $25 million. Jones could very well be the x-factor on defense in Super Bowl LVIII.

 Jones had zero tackles in the AFC championship but his presence opened lanes for his teammates to rattle Lamar Jackson.  The San Francisco 49ers however are unlikely to abandon the running game the way the Baltimore Ravens did in the Super Bowl so Jones will need to be on his A-game.

Jones did record 10.5 sacks and seven stuffs through 16 games played this season and his leadership has given way for defensive end George Kalaftis to get lose. Identically, Kalaftis also recorded 10.5 sacks this season and was terrific in the AFC Championship.

With all this,  I seriously doubt that Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan will omit running back Christian McCaffrey from the game-plan. The 49ers led the NFL with 4.8 rush yards per carry so Spagnuolo and the Chiefs better have an answer in SBLVIII. Jones needs to be the enforcer on gameday.

Ravens to host Chiefs in AFC Championship game

The Baltimore Ravens will host Kansas City in the AFC Championship game after the Chiefs 27-24 win over the Bills in the divisional round

Baltimore will host the AFC title game for the first time since 1971, and it’ll be a matchup for the ages when Lamar Jackson squares off against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kansas City defeated Buffalo 27-24 in the first road playoff win for Mahomes, and it sets up a matchup of two recent NFL MVPs.

The Chiefs will travel to M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday at 3:00 PM EST in a matchup to see the winner advance to the Super Bowl after Mahomes went 17-23 passing for 215 yards and two touchdowns.

Second-year running back Isaiah Pacheco paced Kansas City with 15 physical carries for 97 yards (6.5) and a critical touchdown. Travis Kelce had five catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns on a night when rumors swirled about his potential retirement.

Kansas City and Baltimore previously met in the postseason following the 2010 season.

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National reaction to Ravens advancing to AFC Championship game with 34-10 win over Texans

We’re looking at the national reaction to the Baltmore Ravens advancing to the AFC Championship game after a 34-10 iwin over the Houston Texans

The Ravens avoided the repeat of 2019, advancing to the AFC title game after a dominant 34-10 win over the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium.

The win gave Baltimore two wins over DeMeco Ryan’s team, and the combined scores of 56-19 provide insight into how far Houston has to climb before they start thinking about championship Sunday.

Lamar Jackson was dominant from start to finish and will likely win his second NFL MVP after accounting for 252 yards, four total touchdowns, and a `121.8 quarterback rating.

Mike Macdonald’s defense held Houston to 213 yards of total offense on 47 offensive plays, limiting C.J. Stroud to 19-33 passing for 175 yards and no touchdowns.

After overcoming past failures, here’s the national reaction to the Ravens’ dominant victory.

AFC Divisional Round picks: Who the experts are taking in Ravens vs. Texans

The NFL experts have made their picks, and the Baltimore Ravens are favored to defeat the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round

We’re a little over 30 hours away from the Ravens (13-4) and Texans (11-7) kicking off the AFC divisional round of the playoffs on ESPN.

Houston advanced to the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs for the fifth time in franchise history with a 45-14 win over the Browns in Super Wild Card Weekend.

The playoff win earned the Texans a rematch against the Ravens, and they’ll return to M&T Bank Stadium hoping to avenge a 25-9 loss in Week 1.

With kickoff fast approaching, here’s the NFL expert picks.

Marlon Humphrey ruled out of Ravens divisional round matchup vs. Texans

The Baltimore Ravens have ruled out Marlon Humphrey for the divisional matchup vs. the Texans, while Mark Andrews is listed as questionable

The Ravens have ruled out Marlon Humphrey for the divisional round matchup against the Houston Texans on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium.

Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews is listed as questionable, along with four others.

With Humphrey out, Brandon Stephens and likely Ronald Darby are the likely starting cornerbacks against C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins and the Texans’ dynamic passing attack. Darby has made seven starts this season, as Humphrey will miss his eighth game.

Outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney returned from an illness that kept him out of practice Wednesday and told reporters he’ll play. Wide receiver Zay Flowers (calf) and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh (ankle) also both returned to full practice and said they’ll suit up.

Will Ravens QB Lamar Jackson finally silence the critics?

Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson can redeem his post-season struggles and advance to the AFC Championship this weekend.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has played exceptionally in response to his five-year $260 million contract this spring. Will Jackson finally silence his critics by advancing to the AFC Championship?

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Jackson’s 1-3 record in the post-season is a stark contrast to his counterpart, Houston Texans quarterback C.J Stroud. Stroud is now 1-0, thanks to the Texan’s win in the AFC Wild Card.  Jackson complimented Stroud this week in the media but did so with an undertone that implied his aspirations.

Jackson knows that Regular season success won’t be enough for his critics to merit him the MVP award. The Ravens finished the season on a high note with locker-room celebrations and tons of raves in the media. It can be all for naught if they are one and done.

It is imperative that Jackson avoids turnovers and makes accurate passes against the Texans’ blitz. The Texans are allowing just 3.5 rush yards per carry this season. To counter the Texans’ run defense, Jackson may look for wide receiver Zay Flowers in 1-on-1 situations.

Ideally, the Ravens will want to avoid turning this game into an offensive shootout and sustain offensive drives to keep the home crowd engaged. Jackson must exemplify poise and precision to prevail. That is if he wants to advance to the AFC Championship.

Ravens release first injury report ahead of AFC divisional round matchup vs. Texans

Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers were among four Ravens to not practice ahead of Saturday’s divisional matchup vs. the Texans

An already dynamic offensive unit could get a massive jolt as Mark Andrews continues to ramp up his participation ahead of the team’s AFC divisional round matchup against the Houston Texans.

Wide receiver Zay Flowers (calf), outside linebacker Odafe Oweh (ankle), and linebacker Malik Harrison (groin) all returned to practice.

Andrews returned to practice on Friday, but it remains to be seen whether the talented pass catcher will be healthy enough to play in Saturday’s divisional playoff game against Houston.

Despite missing the final six games with a fractured fibula, Andrews leads the Ravens in touchdown receptions (6) and has the second-most catches (45) and third-most receiving yards (544).

Ravens will face Texans in divisional round of AFC playoffs

The Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans will face off in the divisional round of the playoffs in a rematch of a Week 1 meeting

The Ravens are back from their first-round bye, and they know their opponent after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 31-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Thanks to the dominant play of Josh Allen, Baltimore will host the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium in a rematch of a 25-9 season-opening win.

In that game, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 28 of 44 passing attempts for 242 yards in his NFL regular-season debut but didn’t lead any touchdown-scoring drives.

Odell Beckham had two catches for 38 yards as he deferred to the rookie Zay Flowers in his debut.

Playing in his first game after a ten-month absence, Lamar Jackson was 17-22 passing for 169 yards and one interception while finishing with a 79.5 rating.

Jackson looked rusty at times but was efficient, had 38 yards rushing, and avoided nasty hits.

This is a different Houston team, and the Texans are flying high after dismantling the Cleveland Browns in the wild-card round opener.

Ravens announce two roster moves ahead of divisional round of AFC playoffs

In Monday roster moves, the Ravens placed Pepe Williams (ankle) on injured reserve and Laquon Treadwell was released.

The Ravens have returned from their one week bye and as the team starts preparation for an AFC divisional matchup, the team has announced two roster moves.

On Monday, the Ravens placed cornerback Pepe Williams (ankle) on injured reserve and wide receiver Laquon Treadwell was released.

On Friday, Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews returned to practice for the first time since ankle surgery, opening his 21-day window to be moved from injured reserve to the active roster.

Andrews hopes to return at some point in the playoffs, and Monday’s moves create two roster openings.

2024 NFL Divisional Round schedule: Times, dates, matchups

With the Wild Card Round almost complete, here’s the initial 2024 Divisional Round schedule for the NFL playoffs

There are still two games left to be played, but the NFL has finalized the sites, dates, and times schedule for the Divisional Playoffs, presented by Intuit TurboTax, on January 20-21.

Next weekend, we will see the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers make their postseason debut, with Green Bay traveling to Santa Clara for a gigantic Saturday night matchup on FOX.

Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Tampa, and Philadelphia are still left to play, and the winners will hit the road for potential divisional matchups with wins.

With the Sunday slate of games now complete, here’s an initial release of the divisional round schedule that includes times, dates, and locations.