The Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes havea major test ahead of him as a rare road underdog heading to compete in the AFC Championship game vs. the Baltimore Ravens.
It will be Mahomes second time playing in a road playoff game and the crowd in Baltimore is going to be out of control, if last week’s matchup against the Houston Texans was foreshadowing the scene that will take place on Sunday.
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.”
Of the 16 postseason games that Mahomes has played in his career, 12 have been at Arrowhead Stadium. The other three games were Super Bowl appearances – Super Bowl 54, Super Bowl 55 and Super Bowl 57 – all of which took place at neutral sites. Last week’s win over Buffalo was the quarterback’s first road test.
And with the Chiefs come Taylor Swift, who will likely be in a private suite with her usual entourage away from the madness of the Ravens fans.
Having the crowd behind them is nothing new for Baltimore. 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 KC 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,” 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.”
Patrick Mahomes Sr. Not Thrilled About Sharing Suite With Taylor Swift, Jason Kelce & Son’s Wife For Chiefs Ravens Game, Report Says
During last week’s win over Buffalo, the NFL cameras showed multiple shots of the VIP suite in the stadium, where Taylor Swift, a shirtless Jason Kelce, Brittany Mahomes and a few other select guests appeared to be having the time of their lives watching Kansas City cruise to a victory in enemy territory..
During an interview with Kansas City outlet Starcade Media, Mahomes Sr. was asked about the 12-time Grammy winner’s relationship with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and getting to meet her as cameras clearly showed him in the same quite.
“She’s down to earth,” he said of the “Cruel Summer” hitmaker.
“I actually walked up and introduced myself to her, and she said she knew who I was because she had watched the ‘Quarterback’ series,” he added, referring to the hit Netflix series about his son and two other NFL quarterbacks in the 2022-23 season.
But according to a report, Patrick Mahomes’ dad would rather not re-create last week’s insane experience this weekend and would prefer to focus on the game, as his son hopes to pull an upset off over the Ravens.
Wow… Pat Mahomes says he hopes he does not sit in the same suite as Taylor Swift, Jason Kelce, and Brittany Mahomes at this weeks game in Baltimore.
“I hope not,” when asked by @EvanandTikiWFAN. pic.twitter.com/uJyr3dQp7C
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 25, 2024
According to the report, Mahomes Sr.was asked if he planned on sharing a suite yet again with Swift, Kelce and his daughter-in-law in Baltimore.
“I hope not,” the report said.
It’s clear the Patrick Mahomes’ pops was a bit distracted during last week’s game and wants to lock in this week, but it’s not a job at Swift or anyone else.
What do you think is running through Patrick Mahomes Sr.’s mind?
— NFL Notifications (@NFLNotify) January 22, 2024
Mahomes Sr., who pitched for the Mets in 1999 and 2000 and likely wasn’t trying to be rude, but understands the importance of this game especially and wants to be dialed in. He would probably rather avoid a shirtless Jason Kelce taunting Ravens fans while pulling for his brother and the away team or people constantly looking up to try to get a glimpse of the pop singer.
It makes sense.
