Ravens' Key Matchups to Beat Chiefs in AFC Championship 2024
The Baltimore Ravens made an emphatic opening statement against the Houston Texans in their postseason campaign to win Super Bowl LVIII.
After going into the locker room tied at halftime with an upstart Texans team, the Ravens hit the gas in the second half. They scored 24 unanswered points and ran all over the Houston defense to win 34-10.
A much bigger challenge awaits them in the next round, though.
The Kansas City Chiefs might not have had a great regular season by their standards, but Patrick Mahomes won his first road playoff game against the Bills last week. Unlike the Texans, they have a ton of playoff experience with one of the most successful head coach-quarterback tandems in the league.
They've earned the right to be favored in the game, but it's still going to come down to some crucial matchup.
Let's take a look at three of the most pivotal.
Justin Madubuike vs. Chiefs' Interior Offensive Linemen
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For those who enjoy matchups along the offensive and defensive line there's a real battle of the titans brewing in the conference championship game.
The Chiefs have one of the best guard tandems in the league in Trey Smith and Joe Thuney. Justin Madubuike has been one of the most productive interior pass-rushers all season. Getting pressure without blitzing is pivotal in defeating Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense.
Madubuike winning his matchups is the most direct way to accomplish that goal. The Texans do not have great guards and Madubuike made his presence known with two quarterback hits, a tackle for loss and seven quarterback pressures, per PFF.
One x-factor to keep an eye on is Joe Thuney's health at left guard. He exited the divisional round game against the Bills and was replaced by Nick Alegretti. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media has since reported that Thuney suffered a pectoral strain and his status is up in the air for the game.
If the Chiefs are forced to play Allegretti or if Thuney is hampered by the pec injury then this matchup becomes even more important.
As it stands, it's crucial for Madubuike to rise to the occasion and make an impact in a tightly contested matchup.
Zay Flowers vs. Trent McDuffie
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This Chiefs team is unlike the other ones that have made runs at the Super Bowl in the Patrick Mahomes era. They aren't as explosive on offense, but they have a legitimate defense that has carried them at times this season.
They combine a good pass rush with a lights out secondary that has made it difficult for teams to pass the ball against them. They are fifth in EPA allowed per pass (the Ravens are second).
Trent McDuffie has been instrumental in that success and he's a player to watch on Sunday. He has the versatility to play outside and moves to the slot when they have nickel and dime personnel on the field.
That means he'll see plenty of Zay Flowers. The rookie receiver lines up all over the formation and spends nearly 30 percent of his time in the slot, per Player Profiler. He also saw 24.4 percent of the targets throughout the season and he led the way with five targets in the divisional round.
The Ravens didn't really need to throw the ball to beat the Texans. They had 42 runs to 22 pass attempts and averaged 5.5 yards per carry.
They'll likely need to be a little more balanced to best the Chiefs defense and that means getting Flowers loose for some big plays. McDuffie has been a playmaker aall season with seven pass deflections, five forced fumbles and three sacks.
Lamar Jackson vs. Chiefs Linebackers
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This could be the mismatch that really determines this game. The Chiefs have a strong defense overall, but it's fair to wonder how their linebackers are going to hold up against the athleticism and scrambling of Lamar Jackson.
This is a defense that just allowed Josh Allen to rush for 72 yards on 12 carries with two touchdowns. In total, the Chiefs gave up 182 yards on the ground for an average of 4.7 yards.
They have the worst run defense in the league according to EPA allowed per play.
Drue Tranquill and Nick Bolton were the two linebackers who played the most against the Texans. Bolton is a big linebacker at 5'11", 237 pounds and he posted a relative athletic score of 4.62 coming out of Missouri in 2021. Tranquill is a better athlete with a 9.87 RAS and a 4.57 40 time.
Both will have to phenomenal games to slow down the Ravens rushing attack and keep Jackson from torching them on scrambles.
To win, the Ravens need to get an early lead and continue to bleed the clock on the ground. That will allow them to open things up and keep Mahomes off the field.
Jackson's big advantage over the linebackers could be the key.
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