Three reasons why you should root for the Ravens in the AFC Championship vs. the Chiefs

The Baltimore Ravens had the best record in the league this regular season, going 13-4 in the loaded AFC North division that produced three playoff teams. The Ravens were dominant this season and earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC, giving them a bye for the first round of the playoffs.

Baltimore defeated the Houston Texans 34-10 in the divisional round to advance to the AFC Championship, where they will play host to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

It’s been over a decade since the Ravens made it to a Super Bowl. In 2012, the Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers and there is a chance there could be a rematch this year, with the Niners in the NFC Championship.

Here are a few reasons why you should root for the Ravens the rest of the way:

Quarterback Lamar Jackson is likely the MVP and is having one of the best seasons of his career. He went 13-3 in his 16 starts, with a career high in completions (307) and completion percentage (67.2) and yards passing (3,678). He finished the regular season with 24 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions and 821 yards rushing on 148 attempts, with five touchdowns on the ground.

Jackson has struggled in the playoffs up to this point, going 2-3 in postseason games, thanks to the win over the Texans. The 27-year-old has already achieved a lot in his career. He’s already been crowned league MVP, is a two-time All-Pro, a three-time Pro Bowler and a Heisman Trophy winner. He has still yet to win, or even reach, a Super Bowl.

Last week, he became the first quarterback in NFL history (regular season or playoffs) to record two passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns, rush for at least 100 yards, and register at least a 100.0 passer rating.

Earlier this season Jackson noted that he isn’t getting any younger and puts pressure on himself to win now. Jackson has had some great seasons and it is his time for him to go all the way.

2. Dethrone the Chiefs

The Chiefs are in their sixth AFC Championship in six years and if they win will be going to back-to-back Super Bowls. If you think it’s time for a new AFC team to get some attention, you should root for the Ravens.

The Chiefs have made it to three Super Bowls since 2019, winning two. They are a difficult team to dethrone, but this season the Ravens are primed to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

3. Solid defense

The Ravens defense was tied for allowing the second-fewest passing touchdowns (18) and finished with the most sacks (60). The unit was among the top in the league in interceptions (18) and yards passing allowed (3,676). The Ravens also finished with the least rushing touchdowns allowed (6).

While the offense is the obvious appeal of the team, the defense has had great moments as well. The last five games the unit held its opponents to less than 20 points and in eight games held its opponent to 10 points or less.