Ravens Mentally Disintegrate in Championship Failure vs. Chiefs
Everything was lined up for the Baltimore Ravens to make their first Super Bowl appearance since 2012, but self-inflicted wounds allowed the Kansas City Chiefs to roll into M&T Bank Stadium and emerge 17-10 winners.
The Ravens had eight penalties for 95 yards as multiple roughing the passer calls and Zay Flowers' brain fade all led to the Chiefs again making it to the Super Bowl.
In the third quarter, Flowers would get on the end of a Lamar Jackson pass to the tune of a 54-yard completion but taunted Chiefs corner L'Jarius Sneed in the aftermath, costing himself 10 yards. Mistake one.
Then, just a couple of plays later, Flowers fumbled as he was reaching for the endzone and the Ravens came away with nothing from a promising drive. Mistake two.
It was a complete performance from Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs as they controlled the entire first half en route to having 221 total yards compared to Baltimore's 110 to put the squeeze on the Ravens.
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Baltimore was held scoreless in the second and third quarters before being forced to settle for a field goal late in the fourth to make it a one-possession game.
But in truth, the damage was already done as the Ravens, who had been so good all season, wilted under the pressure as Mahomes again played a clean game and owned time of possession 37:30 to 22:30.
Baltimore's offense failed to get going at all as Jackson threw a late interception which halted any momentum as again, the Ravens couldn't get out of their own way.
It will be a tale of missed opportunity for Baltimore as, in the biggest moment of the year, the players mentally disintegrated.
This one will hurt for a long time, and not because Mahomes and Co, thoroughly outplayed them, but partly because the Ravens played a major role in their downfall.
