The Baltimore Ravens’ incredible season ended Sunday night after a devastating 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite being favored to win by a -4.5 spread as of Sunday morning, the Ravens were unable to bring home the AFC Championship.
However, though their last game didn’t go as planned, their season shouldn’t be ignored. With a final record of 13-4, the Ravens finished their season as the number 1 seed in the AFC North. According to the National Football League (NFL), the Ravens averaged more rushing yards, passing yards, sacks, and touchdowns than their opponents. Their defense blew every other team out of the water, becoming the first team in NFL history to lead the league in points allowed at 16.5 per game, sacks with 60 for the season, and takeaways at 31 for the season.
“The Baltimore Ravens defense has been dominating over the last 15 weeks,” says Last Word on Sports. “The unit is taking over in all facets, playing great coverage and disrupting opposing backfields. Mainly, Baltimore’s defensive line is wreaking havoc.”
So, if the Ravens lead the NFL in so many ways and, despite historically being the underdog, were favored to win, the question is simple: What happened on that field that resulted in such a devastating loss?
Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson, a strong contender for MVP, made numerous mistakes on the field that ended up losing his team the championship, and those mistakes were no match for Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ flawless plays. “The offense struggled to do anything against the Chiefs defense and two turnovers in the end zone was too much to overcome,” says WBALTV. “Jackson would add an interception into triple coverage, that took away an option to kick a field goal to make it a one-possession game.”
The game was sealed after rookie Zay Flowers was stripped of the ball by L’Jarius Sneed while diving for a touchdown, just minutes after being flagged for taunting the cornerback following a 54-yard catch. “The tremendous play by Sneed not only took precious points away from the Ravens, but also marred an otherwise great performance by Flowers, who led the Ravens with five receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown,” explains the NFL.
“At the beginning of the season we weren’t playing well, people don’t know what the Ravens’ offense/defense is going to look like, but we made it all the way to this point,” said Jackson in a post-game conference. “We made it here, but we just have to finish next time.”
