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The first half of the AFC Championship is in the books and the visiting Kansas City Chiefs have a 17-7 lead over the Baltimore Ravens.
It was about as good of a start as the defending champions could’ve asked for. They forced a three-and-out against the Lamar Jackson-led offense and proceeded to march 86 yards down the field for the game’s first score. Patrick Mahomes — who completed his first 11 pass attempts of the game — connected with Travis Kelce for a 19-yard touchdown to give Kansas City the initial lead. Baltimore would strike back with a 30-yard touchdown from Jackson to rookie wideout Zay Flowers on the ensuing possession, but the Chiefs offense immediately responded with another time-consuming drive that resulted in their second touchdown.
Things looked like they were going to get out of hand after Jackson fumbled on a strip sack in the second quarter, which gave the Chiefs the ball at the Baltimore 33-yard line while already holding a 14-7 lead. However, Andy Reid opted to keep his offense on the field on a fourth-and-1 play from the Baltimore 13-yard line. It was at that juncture that the Ravens defense made its first major mark of the day, stopping Isiah Pacheco before he got to the line to gain and Kansas City turned the ball over on downs.
While that eliminated a scoring opportunity for the Chiefs, the Ravens couldn’t make them pay further with a score of their own as they punted after a five-play drive on that next possession. That was a theme down the stretch for the Ravens offense as they went three-and-out after the defense forced a Chiefs punt for the first time on the afternoon.
Just before the break, Kansas City was able to add to its lead with a 52-yard field goal by Harrison Butker. Kelce was a catalyst on that scoring drive, thanks to a 21-yard gain that brought them into Ravens territory in the final minute and a nine-yard reception to set up the field goal. The star tight end was borderline unstoppable in the first half, catching all nine of his targets for 96 yards and a touchdown while setting a pair of NFL records, including passing Jerry Rice for most playoff catches in league history.
Which team will push ahead in the second half and punch its ticket to Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII? We’re about to find out. As this game continues to unfold, check out our live blog of this AFC Championship. Below, you can find expert analysis and real-time highlights of all the top plays.
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