The Kansas City Chiefs took their most challenging road yet to the Super Bowl.
It included their first road AFC Championship Game during the Patrick Mahomes era.
The Chiefs had hosted the previous five AFC title games, winning three. They showed Sunday they can get to the big game without home-field advantage, defeating the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens 17-10 to advance to their fourth Super Bowl in five years.
The Chiefs will look to become the first team to repeat since Tom Brady and the New England Patriots did so in the 2003-04 seasons.
We've got the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.
Here are the winners and losers from the AFC Championship Game between the Chiefs and Ravens.
WINNER: Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes remains undefeated on the road in the playoffs.
NFL
Mahomes, of course, had never played in a postseason road game prior to this season because the Chiefs have always had homefield advantage. One week after playing and winning the first road postseason game of his career, Mahomes again went into a hostile environment and left with a victory.
Mahomes completed 30 of 39 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown.
Facing third-and-9 from the Chiefs 46-yard line in the closing minutes, Mahomes lofted a downfield pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 32-yard gain that sent the Chiefs back to the Super Bowl.
He is now one win away from becoming just the fifth quarterback in NFL history to win three or more Super Bowls -- joining Tom Brady (7), Joe Montana (4), Terry Bradshaw (4) and Troy Aikman (3).
LOSER: Zay Flowers
Momentum was shifting in favor of the Baltimore Ravens.
With the Ravens trailing by 10, their defense forced a Kansas City three-and-out, and then their offense marched down field into the end zone. On second-and-8 from the Chiefs' 9-yard line, Lamar Jackson completed a short pass to Zay Flowers. The rookie dove for the end zone but L'Jarius Sneed knocked the ball loose just before it crossed the goal line, and the Chiefs recovered the fumble in the end zone for a touchback.
Flowers then reportedly cut his hand while hitting the bench in frustration.
WINNER: Travis Kelce
Move over, Jerry Rice.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce finished with 11 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown, which included the 152nd postseason reception of his career to pass Rice as the NFL's all-time leader.
Kelce entered the game needing seven catches to set the new mark, and he did so in just the second quarter. The record-breaking catch came on an eight-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes. Kelce also recorded his eighth 100-plus yard receiving game in the playoff, tying Rice for the most in league history.
Kelce needs four more postseason touchdowns to pass Rice in that category.
He'll get his next chance when he plays in the Super Bowl for the fourth time in his career.
LOSER: Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson silenced his critics last week by advancing to his first AFC Championship Game. They might start speaking up again.
The Ravens had an opportunity to recover from the Flowers goal-line fumble and make it a one-possession game after getting the ball back and orchestrating a 74-yard drive. On second-and-10 from the Chiefs' 25-yard line with just under seven minutes remaining, Jackson was picked off in the end zone by Deon Bush after attempting a pass to Isaiah Likely while he was surrounded by three defenders.
Jackson finished with 272 passing yards on 20-for-37 passing - one of which was a 13-yard completion to himself - and added 54 rushing yards on eight carries.
LOSER: Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken
The Ravens were the top rushing team in the league this season. The Chiefs had a below-average rush defense.
Sounds like an easy gameplan for the Ravens....right?
Not quite. The Ravens had just 16 carries in the game, half of which were by Lamar Jackson. Gus Edwards, who had 10 carries last week in the divisional round win over the Houston Texans, had a season-low three carries for 20 yards. The Ravens' grand total of 81 rushing yards on Sunday was well below their regular-season average of 156.6 rushing yards per game.
WINNER: Swifties
Taylor Swift will make her Super Bowl debut.
Swift has attended 12 of the Chiefs' 20 games this season to support her boyfriend Travis Kelce, with Kansas City going 9-3 in her presence. The love story will now continue in Las Vegas for the NFL's grand finale.
Swifties were rooting for the Chiefs to win so Taylor Swift would be in attendance for the big game in Las Vegas. Some football fans were probably rooting for the Ravens so she wouldn't.
But the Chiefs are going, which means the 12-time Grammy winner reportedly will be too despite having a concert the night before in Japan.
Lets see what the oddsmakers set as the over/under for number of times Swift is shown during the Super Bowl broadcast.
