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Adam Teicher, ESPN Staff Writer
BALTIMORE — The Kansas City Chiefs, who for most of this regular season looked more vulnerable than at any time since Patrick Mahomes became their starting quarterback in 2018, are going back to the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs led by 10 points at halftime of Sunday’s AFC Championship Game and held on to defeat the Baltimore Ravens, 17-10. The Chiefs will be heading to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
The Chiefs scored touchdowns on each of their first two possessions. Mahomes was 29-of-38 for 209 yards and a 19-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce. Kelce had 11 catches for 116 yards and broke the NFL record for postseason receptions. The record had been held by Jerry Rice with 151.
With an 11-6 regular season record, the Chiefs lost more games than they ever have with Mahomes as their starter. They played some sloppy games, most notably a Week 16 home loss to Las Vegas in which the Raiders scored both of their touchdowns on defense off Chiefs’ turnovers on back-to-back plays from scrimmage.
Mahomes in many cases had the worst statistical season of his career with a QBR of 63, a yards-per-attempt average of 7.0 and a career-high 14 interceptions. He was affected by problems around him. The Chiefs dropped more passes than any team in the league and were second in offensive penalties. Among the league’s highest scoring teams in recent years, the Chiefs this year finished 15th in scoring at 21.8 points per game.
After beating the Miami Dolphins at Arrowhead Stadium in the wild-card round, the Chiefs had to play on the road for the first time in Mahomes’ postseason career in the divisional round against the Buffalo Bills. The Chiefs were underdogs but beat the Bills 27-24.
They were again underdogs and on the road in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game. The Chiefs will be appearing in their fourth Super Bowl game in the last five years. They’ve won two of their three recent appearances, including in last year’s Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Chiefs will be seeking to be the first team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the 2004 New England Patriots.