The Baltimore Ravens will play in front of the faithful flock one last time this season, and it will be the most important contest in the history of M&T Bank Stadium as they will host the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, in the AFC conference title game.

The Ravens beat the brakes off of the Houston Texans last week after a one-sided second half catapulted them to victory. Baltimore has been the talk of the league ever since they rolled through their competition in November and December, but there is one very noticeable contender that they have not had to face in that period, and that contender would be none other than the Chiefs.

Kansas City is one ring away from truly solidifyingitselfas the new NFL dynasty, and that label will be applied to any team with two Lombardi trophies and six straight appearances in the AFC championship game.

The Chiefs may have had a "down year" by their lofty standards when you look at their 11-6 record, but when you have a quarterback with a championship pedigree like Patrick Mahomes (You all know how great he is, and I'm sure Tony Romo will emphatically tell you during his coverage on Sunday), a win is always a strong possibility.

Of course, we can't forget about Mahomes' primary option in tight end Travis Kelce (Who has been in the headlines this year for reasons entirely unknown),who isalso a generational talent at his respective position.

Kansas City has been a thorn in Baltimore's side during the Jackson era as Mahomes' unit leads the head-to-head at 3-1. The one silver lining to this is that the Ravens' one win in fourtrieswas the most recent encounter between the two, a Sunday Night classic that saw Jackson lead his team to victory in a high-octane comeback. Lord only knows if that fateful night in 2021 was when the Ravens finally solved the Cheifs' riddle, but it should provide a spark of confidence that they can officially dethrone the NFL's current kings.

Another thing to keep in consideration is the fact that this will be the first time Mahomes will play in the final four on the road, and there are very few (if any) players and coaches who will tell you that they don't mind playing the conference championship game as the opposition is in one of the loudest stadiums in the country.

We haven't been able to say this in11years, but the Ravens are just one game away from the grandest stage of them all. Baltimore is well aware of what is at stake, and a loss is not an option for them after the historic regular season they put forth.

I can't wait, you can't wait, and all of Baltimore can'twait.I've said all that's needed to be said, let's get to the preview!

1. Lamar vs. Mahomes Part V

This will be meeting No. 5between the two best quarterbacks in the league, but this will be the first time they will go head-to-head in the postseason.

Jackson has enjoyed what is by far the most talented receiving corps he's ever had at his disposal. Odell Beckham Jr., Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Nelson Agholor have made life easy for Jackson in his historic 2023 campaign as the soon-to-be (notofficially,butcome on, how can it not be him?) MVP reached career highs in passing yards and completion percentage.

Another point of interest is the possible return of Mark Andrews, who hasn't taken the field since sustaining an ankle injury in November. Remember, Jackson has played the best football of his career without his No. 1option in the equation, so if Andrews is set to put on the cleats and shoulder pads, another dimension will be unlocked in Baltimore's lethal offense.

Mahomes may have his fellow future Hall of Famer in Kelce, but his receiver room this season has been the most shallow collection of wideouts in his illustrious career. For the first time, Mahomes didn't have a single receiver or tight end that was able to crack the 1,000-yard mark. Despite the inconsistency that has plagued his targets, Mahomes is still the face of the NFL for areason,and theRavens,of allteams,should understand that near perfection is what it will take to emerge victorious.

Both quarterbacks have traits that will make it difficult for one to pick against them. Jackson looks like the clear-cut MVP with stronger talent around him, while Mahomes has the hardware and ability to complete any pass. This only sets the scene for what could be another classic AFC Championship.

Click the link for the last two keys: https://www.wbal.com/ravens-set-for-a-date-with-kansas-city-in-the-first-ever-afc-championship-game-at-the-bank/