The Baltimore Ravens get to face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on their home turf for the AFC crown on Sunday. It will mark just the second road playoff game of Mahomes’ impressive career.
While the Ravens have reached the playoffs multiple times — including two Super Bowl wins and four AFC Championship trips — Sunday marks the first time in franchise history they get to host an AFC title game.
The city is fired up — and if last week’s showing from the Ravens fans in the win over the Houston Texans was a glimpse on the home field advantage Baltimore could have against Mahomes and company — the Kansas City Chiefs could be in trouble.
It’s rare Kansas City is a significant underdog heading into an AFC Championship game, but that’s the case this weekend.
A raucous crowd at M&T Bank Stadium played an imperative part in energizing the Baltimore Ravens and effectively became the 12th man on defense. Houston had six pre-snap penalties with five false starts and one delay of game.
Baltimore linebacker Roquan Smith credited the fans and how it helped the defense in big moments throughout the game.
“It’s big,” Smith said. “Having our crowd behind us [on] big plays, big stops, it’s amazing. And this energy here, it’s contagious, and it just helps us on the field more and more.”
Having the crowd behind them is nothing new for the Ravens. The fans at M&T Bank Stadium were also a problem for opposing teams in the regular season, as they had 19 false starts and nine delay of game penalties in Baltimore, both of which led the league.
When asked about getting to face Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs at home, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh alluded to the unique atmosphere that could help his team secure a trip to the Super Bowl on Sunday.
“We’re excited about that,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. “Our fans are going to get the chance to cheer just as loud or louder than they did in this game,” Harbaugh said after defeating the Texans. “They were amazing…I thought our fans were incredible. It was deafening out there.”
Having home field advantage is something that can go unnoticed when the crowd doesn’t have an impact on that game. That wasn’t the case in Baltimore, and whoever enters M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday at 3 p.m. for the AFC Championship game
“I know it’s going to be rocking next week in the AFC Championship game,” Smith said following the win over Houston. “But it was huge today. Coming to the M&T Bank Stadium, I was a witness to it last year, how loud and how hostile the environment can be as well as this year. They love their football and the way they come out…They got at the top of their lungs, and it’s a big part for us.”
Patrick Mahomes Admitted Playing Baltimore Ravens On The Road Is One Of The Toughest Challenges He’s Faced In The NFL
Not many things can knock Mahomes out of his groove, but there are a couple of NFL stadiums that have forced him to alter his routine on offense. Mahomes joined the “Manningcast” on Monday Night Football in mid-November, and revealed the two stadiums that have given the Chiefs’ offense the most trouble.
During the broadcast, Mahomes said he has only ever had to use silent signals in Baltimore and Seattle. Mahomes said those two fan bases were so loud that some of his offensive linemen couldn’t hear the cadence.
“I’m mostly verbal,” Patrick Mahomes said. “The only time I’ve been silent is in Baltimore and Seattle, where I have to go under center and go with signals with the offensive linemen. It was so loud in those stadiums that the tackles couldn’t hear me.”
The last time the Kansas City Chiefs went on the road to play the Baltimore Ravens, in 2019, Mahomes completed 24 of his 31 passing attempts for 343 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Kansas City lost the game 36-35, but the offense wasn’t to blame
But Sunday’s AFC Championship will take things to a whole new level in terms of the raucous crowd affecting the game. Mahomes and the Chiefs better come prepared.
