Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs Still NFL's Top Team After 49ers Beat Lions for NFC Title

The Baltimore Ravens had a phenomenal run through the 2023 regular season. But in the AFC Championship Game, they failed to measure up with the Kansas City Chiefs, who are the NFL's gold standard.

Though the Chiefs didn't win with style points, they found a way to claim their fourth Lamar Hunt Trophy in six consecutive trips to the AFC title game. Despite the San Francisco 49ers' come-from-behind win in the NFC Championship Game, Kansas City should be the favorite to win Super Bowl 58.

The Chiefs have taken the dynasty baton from the New England Patriots, and they're running with it to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on February 11.

Despite all of the discussion about the 2023 Chiefs being more vulnerable than ever before, they once again look like the total package en route to a fourth Super Bowl appearance in five seasons.

We didn't see the Chiefs' pass-catchers struggle with drops in big spots, which plagued them during the regular season. Patrick Mahomes is still the league's best quarterback by a significant margin. Kansas City's defense has held seven of its past eight opponents to 20 points or fewer.

The Chiefs beat the Ravens 17-10 in Baltimore without a score in the second half thanks to defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, whose unit shut down the league's No. 4 scoring offense.

Mahomes and four-time All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce helped Kansas City jump off to a quick start, and Mahomes iced the game with a deep throw to wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling late in the fourth quarter.

By his standards, Kelce had a down year, with a decline in total catches and receiving yards. But he played like a future Hall of Famer on Sunday, hauling in 11 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. In doing so, he passed Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice for the most postseason receptions in NFL history.

For 60 minutes, Mahomes looked composed in the pocket and delivered the ball accurately downfield, while Baltimore's Lamar Jackson—the MVP front-runner—seemed rattled at times because of Spagnuolo's blitz-heavy game plan. By halftime, Jackson had completed only five passes.

Mahomes finished with an efficient stat line, throwing for 241 yards and a touchdown with a 77 percent completion rate. Jackson threw for more yards (272), a touchdown and an interception, but he only completed 54 percent of his passes.

With that said, Baltimore's season-deflating playoff loss isn't all on Jackson. The Chiefs showed championship mettle, while the Ravens cracked under pressure.

The Ravens gained some offensive momentum in the second half, but rookie wideout Zay Flowers had a brutal sequence that started when he drew a taunting penalty for standing over cornerback L'Jarius Sneed. A few plays later, he lost a fumble at the goal line that resulted in a touchback.

Ironically, Sneed made the momentum-stopping play to force the fumble.

Flowers must learn from his rookie mistakes—allowing his emotions to get the best of him and lunging yards away from the goal line—but the Chiefs played with the utmost composure even when Baltimore made a second-half push, and it paid off.

One can argue that the Chiefs have the best play-callers in the NFL. Head coach Andy Reid leads an offensive attack that doesn't rack up a ton of points but executes efficiently in big moments, while Spagnuolo calls plays for the second-ranked scoring defense.

How do the Chiefs stack up against the 49ers in a Super Bowl 54 rematch?

As a perennial playoff squad and Super Bowl contender over the past several years, San Francisco matches up well against Kansas City in big-game experience and roster personnel.

David Eulitt/Getty Images

However, whom do you trust more in a close battle: Mahomes or Brock Purdy?

Purdy completed less than 60 percent of his passes in two of his past three games leading up to the NFC title game. For most of the 49ers' divisional-round matchup, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love outplayed him.

Purdy pulled through with big-time throws in a late go-ahead touchdown drive, but his accuracy and passing numbers have sharply declined over the past month. Meanwhile, Mahomes is trending in the right direction, completing at least 72 percent of his passes in three of his past four outings.

Mahomes has earned the benefit of the doubt, but Purdy still needs to prove he's a high-end quarterback in the postseason. In three complete playoff games, Purdy has thrown for four touchdowns with a completion rate of 60 percent or lower in two of those contests.

In a Super Bowl matchup with Kansas City, San Francisco may need more than a game manager under center if two-time All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey has anything less than a strong showing.

Up to this point, Purdy has done enough to help lead San Francisco. But is he capable of carrying the offense against one of the league's stingiest defenses?

On Sunday, Purdy and the 49ers offense had a slow start, which allowed the Detroit Lions to open the game with a 14-0 lead. If San Francisco gives Kansas City a head start like that, Purdy will find it difficult to dig the 49ers out of a hole against Spagnuolo's stifling defense.

If you're going to place early Super Bowl bets on the moneyline, trust the Chiefs. They've been there and won it multiple times.

This year, the Chiefs have likely used some bulletin-board material. They've been betting underdogs in their past two games, only to show doubters that their dynastic run remains intact.

Here's a simplistic but practical approach: Don't bet against Mahomes, especially with Kelce, Reid and Spagnuolo on his side.

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Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.