Baltimore — Ravens supporters, crushed by the demise of their hopes for a Super Bowl, streamed out of M&T Bank Stadium long before their team’s Sunday afternoon matchup with the AFC Championship Game was over.
On Sunday, the Ravens suffered a 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. For some of the team’s ardent supporters, the game, which began at 3 p.m., ended in tears.
After leading Baltimore to the best record and point differential in the league during the regular season, star quarterback Lamar Jackson is a strong candidate to win his second MVP award. In the unfortunate game, he even got to toss the ball to himself.
After giving up touchdowns on the first two Kansas City possessions, the Ravens at times seemed nervous.
During the entire game, Baltimore committed careless errors. For instance, rookie Zay Flowers caught a 54-yard pass to the Kansas City 10 with the Ravens trailing by 10, but was called for taunting after the play.
Flowers stumbled close to the goal line a few moments later, costing the Ravens a point.
For Baltimore supporters, who were ecstatic to be hosting an AFC championship game for the first time since the Colts defeated the Oakland Raiders in January 1971, that was just one of many frustrating moments.
Jackson completed 20 of 37 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown, but Baltimore failed to capitalise on its apparent advantage in the passing game. In the first half, Jackson raced under one of his own tipped passes for a 13-yard reception, but with 6:45 remaining in the game, he turned the ball over twice, including a forced pass into heavy coverage that was intercepted in the end zone.
