Tag: AFC Divisional round

WATCH: Every highlight from Chiefs’ playoff run to Super Bowl LVIII

Check out every highlight from the #Chiefs’ playoff run to Super Bowl LVIII.

The Kansas City Chiefs punched their ticket to Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday night with a 17-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.

While the defending Super Bowl champions have looked like a world-beating squad for the better part of the last month, their path to face the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 11th was paved with adversity.

After defeating the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card round of the AFC playoffs, Kansas City had to win two tough road games against the Buffalo Bills and Ravens to earn their shot at second-consecutive title.

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All of the Chiefs’ biggest stars made clutch plays in key situations to get Kansas City back into the Super Bowl, and their collective effort made for exceptional entertainment as fans watched them fight for a chance at history.

Check out all of the Chiefs’ top highlights from their playoff run to Super Bowl LVIII below:

Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco describes his game-clinching runs vs. Bills

#Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco described his game-clinching runs against the #Bills during comments to the media this week.

Running back Isiah Pacheco iced the Kansas City Chiefs’ Divisional Round game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday and has been on a hot streak as the defending Super Bowl champions strive to defend their title in the AFC playoffs.

The Chiefs leaned on Pacheco to pick up a first down late in the fourth quarter that clinched Kansas City’s 27-24 win over Buffalo.

While speaking to the media on Wednesday, the 24-year-old running back explained his mindset going into the game’s consequential final drive.

“Just knowing that situation is extremely important,” Pacheco explained. “You [normally] only get those situations in practice and when you rep it and rep it and rep it, when it comes in a game, and it happens it’s like second nature. For us just understand the scheme, understand when you did that in practice before – that’s the mindset of me getting a first down and having the [offensive line] finish on that play.”

Pacheco yearns for these types of situations when the offense controls the outcome of the game, and told reporters that he welcomes the challenge of closing out matchups for his team.

“It’s a big enjoyment, you won the game right there, it’s all said and done,” Pacheco said. “You don’t have to send the defense back out there to get a punt or just have them back out there. It eliminates that part of the game and is a big win for us.”

Pacheco will continue to be an integral part of the Chiefs’ offense, and as he continues to become a more effective and efficient runner, head coach Andy Reid will need to lean on his explosiveness and power to open up the rest of Kansas City’s offense.

Through two playoff games, Pacheco has taken 39 carries for 186 yards and two touchdowns, becoming a true workhorse back for the Chiefs.

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce apologizes for his block on WR Mecole Hardman’s fumble

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce apologizes for his block on the play where WR Mecole Hardman fumbled out of the end zone

In the latest episode of “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce,” the Kelce brothers recapped the Chiefs’ divisional-round victory over the Buffalo Bills. Travis Kelce made it a point to apologize to teammate Mecole Hardman for his block on the play where Hardman fumbled at the goal line, leading to a touchback.

“I’m not gonna lie, man. I owe Mecole a [expletive] new car or something. I owe so much to him. My block was the one that knocked the ball out. And I’ve been [expletive] sick. I told him I apologized to him every time I [expletive] saw him and would apologize again. My bad, Mecole, man,” said Kelce. “Yeah, my guy was just trying to be great and get the ball in the end zone, and I’m thinking it’s a type (of) speed. We’re outside of the guy, (he) goes inside. … And he just finished the play better than I did and got a hand on the ball. And man, I owe my guy big time, man.”

The touchback didn’t come back to haunt the Chiefs as they held on for the 27-24 victory. Afterward, head coach Andy Reid immediately came to the defense of his receiver. Kelce’s admission puts better context on the play as the team continues to support and rally behind Hardman.

“I feel bad for him. And there’s nothing worse than giving up the ball, especially in a situation too.” said Kelce. “He wants another opportunity to get the ball and show what he can do with it. And sure enough, you’ll see him next Sunday. Come up in right on time, baby.”

Hardman is one of the fastest players in the league and when given an opportunity in space can be a game-changer for the Chiefs on Sunday in the passing game or on special teams.

Andy Reid explains strategies for defending Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson

#Chiefs head coach Andy Reid explained his approach to defending against mobile quarterbacks like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.

The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off a 27-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs.

In the game, Bills quarterback Josh Allen ran the ball 12 times for 72 yards and two touchdowns, giving Kansas City’s defense fits throughout the contest.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will face a similar challenge this weekend against the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson with a Super Bowl appearance on the line.

Head coach Andy Reid addressed the media on Monday, sharing his thoughts about how his team might be able to outmaneuver the highly mobile quarterbacks that dominate the modern NFL.

“I would tell you, it’s somewhat the same,” Reid said of defending against Allen and Jackson. “You have to stay in your lanes, you have to stay disciplined with any quarterback that runs. Lamar is special, he’s fast and one of the faster guys on the field when it’s all said and done, and he’s shifty. Whereas Josh will go right through you — he doesn’t care. He’s a big man and probably equally as fast. He’s a fast kid, he runs away from secondary players. You’ve seen that on tape.”

For this week’s matchup against Jackson, Reid told reporters that he will emphasize discipline throughout the entire week of practice.

“This kid, he throws it well, he throws it on the move well, runs the ball well,” Reid continued. “We’ve just to stay on top of that part of it throughout practice this week and then during the game.”

One area where the Chiefs defense has been exposed is the running game. Allen’s mobility and threat to keep the ball opened up Buffalo’s rushing attack, and that will be even more prevalent against Jackson and the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.

Chiefs stock watch: Which players impressed during divisional round vs. Bills?

Here’s a look at the stock trends for some #Chiefs players after the divisional round victory over the #Bills. | from: @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs pulled out a gutsy victory in the divisional round over the Buffalo Bills. The defending Super Bowl champions held on for the 27-24 win, punching their ticket to another AFC Championship game.

Patrick Mahomes proved he could win on the road in the postseason with a magnificent performance. Travis Kelce and Isiah Pacheco set the tone with early production and carrying on throughout the night. Marquez Valdes-Scantling picked a great time to have his best game of the year after such a dreadful year receiving during the regular season.

On defense, the unit pushed forward following injuries to safety Mike Edwards and linebacker Willie Gay. The final Bills drive was thwarted by the effort of Chris Jones, slightly disrupting Josh Allen’s shot in the endzone for a potential go-ahead touchdown pass. Critical plays by Tent McDuffie, Justin Reid, and L’Jarius Sneed helped to slow the Buffalo passing game in the second half.

The Chiefs set their sights on another AFC title game for the sixth consecutive season, but this time on the road away from Arrowhead Stadium. The top-seeded Baltimore Ravens await them in their quest to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles.

Here’s a look at how the stock is trending for some players after the divisional round victory at Highmark Stadium:

NFL fans turned a sideline shot of Chris Jones crying into a great meme from Chiefs-Bills playoff game

No one knows why Chris Jones was crying but it doesn’t matter!

While Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are the Kansas City Chiefs’ best players on offense, Chris Jones is the engine behind the Chiefs’ dominant defense. With Jones being a key piece in Kansas City’s efforts to slow down Josh Allen on Sunday, that means he gets plenty of attention, too.

And not all of it would be something he’s necessarily pleased with.

As the Chiefs’ battle with the Buffalo Bills shifted to the second quarter, CBS shared a montage that featured Jones weirdly crying on the sideline. It’s unclear why Jones was so worked up, but NFL fans never miss an opportunity to make jokes:

Honestly, I get the showcase for a star player being really invested in the game at hand. But showing Jones like that was so random, especially because he resembled “Crying Jordan.” No wonder so many memes flowed about this franchise player’s tears after the fact.

Lamar Jackson said he delivered a profane halftime speech to remind the Ravens how good they are

A fiery Lamar Jackson is something we’ll have to get used to.

If there’s one thing we should’ve learned from the Baltimore Ravens’ dominant win over the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round on Saturday, it’s this — never mess with Lamar Jackson.

After the Houston Texans successfully stymied the Ravens for a half, Jackson apparently lit into his teammates and coaches at halftime. When asked who did most of the talking after an alarming 10-10 half, Jackson professed that he did while using a lot of “cursing” that he couldn’t repeat in the microphone.

In the end, it was about reminding the 13-win Ravens how good they are. That they should be manhandling an underdog like the Texans without mercy. Jackson and his team would respond perfectly with an emphatic 24-0 second half en route to a berth in next Sunday’s AFC title game.

Whatever Jackson said, it clearly worked!

A fiery and heated Jackson isn’t something we’ve seen much on the field. It’s just not usually his approach to the game. But even getting a little hint of it is such a treat. We’re watching an MVP-caliber quarterback craft his legacy in real time. We should start appreciating that much more.

Lamar Jackson masterfully dominated the Texans to put the Ravens one win from Super Bowl 58

The Ravens are on the doorstep of the Super Bowl because Lamar Jackson has never been better.

Lamar Jackson has spent an entire NFL career fighting erroneous narratives.

He couldn’t throw at this level of football. Even after being only the second unanimous MVP in league history, he couldn’t lead a serious winning team like the Baltimore Ravens to legitimate championship contention. As such, for a time, some believed he didn’t deserve a Brinks truck of generational money and a wholesale commitment from his organization.

During the Ravens’ 34-10 AFC Divisional Round beatdown of the Houston Texans on Saturday afternoon, a masterful Jackson demonstrated precisely why all these criticisms never had any merit. With over 250 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns created, Jackson took a playoff game over like the face-of-the-league superstar quarterback he’s always been.

This was Jackson at the peak of his powers.

What was remarkable about Jackson’s performance on Saturday was his pliability. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans — who remains one of the game’s premier defensive minds — came prepared to throw Jackson off his rhythm with an unconventional blitzing plan. After getting somewhat rattled early, Jackson and Baltimore’s offense, by extension, answered with a heavy dose of quarterback draws. When Houston reverted back to a diet of four-man rushes in response, Jackson took his time playing around the pocket, letting the offense come to him before delivering an off-platform dime or scampering through self-manufactured running lanes as big as the Red Sea.

It didn’t matter how the Texans tried to disrupt Jackson. Nothing would’ve worked because they just couldn’t.

In every instance where it seemed like Houston had landed a powerful body blow, the likely two-time MVP quarterback had a devastating counterpunch ready. This is what happens when the best dual-threat quarterback of all time has finally mastered playing his position and playing the game. You can’t throw him off. You can’t make him uncomfortable and erase him with any bog standard gameplan designed to neutralize an offense’s fulcrum. Because try as you might, you’ll catch a quarterback like Jackson off guard for a faint moment, only to see him decisively adjust. You can crush quarterbacks like Jackson all you want, but he only needs a handful of mistakes to capitalize on to win.

Jackson’s adaptability was nowhere more evident than on this sublime touchdown pass to Baltimore tight end Isaiah Likely:

Led by Jackson, the Ravens will now host their first AFC title game ever next Sunday. With everything he’s already accomplished, it is fitting that Jackson adds that notable notch to the Ravens’ belt, a franchise with a rich tradition despite only existing for a few decades. (Eat your hearts out, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.) It is appropriate that Jackson takes Baltimore to the doorstep of the Super Bowl for the first time in over a decade. There’s symbolism, and then there’s talismans like Jackson dropping a cartoon anvil on top of our heads to ensure we got the message.

Perhaps more importantly, Jackson can take the Ravens back to the Big Game by overcoming one of his more celebrated peers next Sunday. Even with Jackson’s litany of regular-season accomplishments, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have probably surpassed the Ravens’ superstar in terms of acclaim lately. They are marketed as the next great quarterback rivalry, the Tom Brady and Peyton Manning battle of the modern era. Jackson, usually, has been third fiddle in that conversation. Heck, during a short Ravens’ downswing in recent years, it was easy to forget about Jackson entirely. The talent never left, but the Ravens and Jackson’s lack of success made him an afterthought.

That period is over. When making comparisons, if Jackson’s name isn’t in the same sentence as Mahomes and Allen moving forward, then someone made an egregious oversight.

Jackson has already staked a claim on being the finest signal-caller in Ravens’ history. But up until Saturday, the postseason accolades eluded him. It’s easy to say Jackson’s casual dominance of the Texans was the signature performance in the career of quarterback everyone has been all too eager to tear down for years. But it might be too soon.

Lamar Jackson has mastered playing professional quarterback. This postseason feels like it might be all about him crafting his personal legacy, and it’s only just beginning.

Lamar Jackson sprinted straight into the tunnel after scoring a Ravens’ game-icing TD

Lamar Jackson knew it was time to go home.

Like all of the greats, Lamar Jackson knows when it’s time to pull up the curtains. He had a golden opportunity to tell everyone when they could relax as the Baltimore Ravens put an AFC divisional-round beatdown on the Houston Texans.

With the Ravens driving late, seeking a game-icing touchdown, Jackson found room to scamper in for one of the easiest eight-yard touchdown runs of his NFL career. And rather than celebrate immediately with his teammates, Jackson unironically ran right down the end-zone tunnel as if to say the ballgame was over and Baltimore could start preparing for the AFC title game.

A 31-10 score late in the fourth quarter is about as over as it gets, and Jackson knew it:

As an organization, the Ravens haven’t played in a conference championship game since January 2013. For Jackson, this will be his first appearance in the NFL’s final four. Judging off this touchdown and tunnel celebration, he’s more than ready to shine as Baltimore prepares for a potential trip to Super Bowl 58.

Troy Aikman passionately lobbied for Jim Harbaugh’s NFL return during Ravens-Texans

Troy Aikman is a BIG fan of Jim Harbaugh coming back to the NFL.

After he finally won a National Championship with the Michigan Wolverines, it seems very likely that Jim Harbaugh will make his return to the NFL this fall.

You can apparently count Troy Aikman amongst Harbaugh’s biggest fans of his coaching.

With Harbaugh in attendance to watch his brother John’s Baltimore Ravens battle the Houston Texans in the AFC divisional round, Aikman was inspired to talk up Harbaugh’s coaching chops during ESPN’s broadcast. Before congratulating him for getting over the hump with Michigan, Aikman professed that Harbaugh has won everywhere and will make someone very happy if he comes back to an NFL sideline as a head coach in 2024:

The last we saw of Harbaugh in the NFL was when he coached the San Francisco 49ers to eight playoff wins, three consecutive NFC title game appearances, and a berth in Super Bowl 47 from 2011 to 2013. It’s difficult to say such success will immediately follow Harbaugh over a decade later, but at least he has an established track record.