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Tickets for Sunday’s AFC championship between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs at M&T Bank sold out after being up for sale, a spokesperson for the Ravens said. The spokesperson did not have an exact timeframe for how quickly the tickets sold out. The game will determine who goes to the Super Bowl and will start at 3:00 p.m. The Ravens earned their place in the championship round after beating the Houston Texans 34-10 last Saturday. In addition to the team, led by quarterback Lamar Jackson, many fans will flock to the game to hopefully spot Taylor Swift. Swift has made national headlines for her relationship with Travis Kelce, star tight end for the Kanas City Chiefs. Swift has been spotted at several games this season, including last week’s matchup between the Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills. View the full article

Hey, Baltimore, it’s finally our turn on Taylor Swift’s NFL tour. Swifties and the Flock will unite at M&T Bank Stadium for the AFC championship game between the Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. We won’t root for “Bad Blood” since, after all, this is just a Sunday afternoon date for Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce, tight end for the Chiefs. But there’s nothing wrong with celebrating Swift’s first Ravens game with a little trash talk right from the singer’s own mouth. So get your Sharpies and posters ready to make some signs — Swiftie style — with these Taylor Swift song lyrics: Two Kansas City Chiefs fans hold a sign referencing a Taylor Swift song during the first half of a game against the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 10, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri. (Reed Hoffmann/AP photo) Karma is the guy [on the Ravens] bringing the [Lombardi Trophy] straight home to me” — Karma “We never go out of style.” — Style “Don’t get sad, get even.” — Vigilante S**t Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens AFC championship tickets have sold out Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 101 for Swifties: Here’s what Taylor Swift fans need to know about Travis Kelce and the Chiefs’ opponent Baltimore Ravens | Sorry, Ravens fans. You’re stuck with Tony Romo and Jim Nantz. | ANALYSIS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Mark Andrews, CB Marlon Humphrey still uncertain for AFC championship game vs. Chiefs Baltimore Ravens | Five things to know about the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens’ opponent in the AFC championship game Gonna make “you run and hide—like a scared little boy” — Forever & Always “Now we got problems, and I don’t think we can solve ’em.” — Bad Blood “Ooh, look what you made me do … [win an AFC title!]” — Look What You Made Me Do “[Ravens] come back stronger than a ’90s trend.” — Willow “Let’s hear the applause C’mon show me how much better you are” — Better Than Revenge Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, right, watches his extra-point try along with holder Jordan Stout during a game against the Steelers. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) “Shake It Off” [we have Tucker] — Shake It Off “But I keep cruising Can’t stop, won’t stop moving …” [Until the Ravens reach the Super Bowl] — Shake It Off “Your heart was glass. I dropped it.” — Champagne Problems “Nothing lasts forever, but this is getting good now.” — Wildest Dreams Jamie Squire/Getty Images North America/TNSChiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, left, shakes hands with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson after Kansas City won, 27-24, in overtime at Arrowhead Stadium in December 2018. “It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero.” — Anti-Hero “So it’s gonna be forever, or it’s gonna go down in flames. You can tell me when it’s over if the high was worth the pain.” —Blank Space “You look like my next mistake Love’s a game, wanna play?” —Blank Space View the full article

One of the most popular figures in the world is likely to be the center of attention in Baltimore on Sunday. No, it’s not Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson or his counterpart on the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes. It’s Taylor Swift. You might have heard of her. Baltimore-area Swifties are undoubtedly excited for the world-famous singer, songwriter, musician and producer to appear at M&T Bank Stadium to cheer on her boyfriend, Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, for a chance to play on the greatest stage in sports — the Super Bowl. For Swifties who aren’t familiar with the Chiefs’ opponent on Sunday, here’s what you need to know about the Ravens: The Ravens have their own Superman Jackson might not be quite as accomplished or popular as Mahomes, but he’s not terribly far off. Baltimore’s quarterback is the favorite to win his second NFL Most Valuable Player Award after also claiming the league’s top honor unanimously after his incredible 2019 season. But the Ravens haven’t won much in the playoffs with Jackson — until now. Another popular figure is wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who was rumored to be seeing Kim Kardashian last year and has more Instagram followers than any other player in the NFL with 17.7 million. The Ravens are going to be the Chiefs’ toughest test yet No team in the NFL was better in the regular season than the Ravens, who went 13-4 to earn home-field advantage until the Super Bowl and are favored to beat the Chiefs on Sunday. While Kansas City battled the Buffalo Bills tooth and nail this past weekend, Baltimore easily defeated the Houston Texans, 34-10, to advance. Jackson is having a better season than Mahomes, and the Ravens’ defense is the best in the league by most metrics. Baltimore has no real weaknesses, and it will be enjoying a loud home crowd, which will see the first home AFC championship game in Ravens history and first for the city since the Colts, who left town for Indianapolis many years ago, beat the Oakland Raiders in 1971. The teams haven’t played in a while and almost everything has changed September 2021 was the last time these two teams faced each other, and the Ravens pulled through in a tight one, 36-35, in prime time. But Mahomes, Kelce and the Chiefs beat Baltimore three straight years from 2018 to 2020. Both teams look much different from the last time they squared off, but the mainstays — Jackson, Mahomes and Kelce — remain. The jacket Taylor Swift wore to the Chiefs’ game against the Dolphins was created by Towson University graduate Kristin Juszczyk, who is married to a former Ravens player. (Ed Zurga/AP) That famous custom jacket has Ravens roots You know the one, right? The one she wore to the Chiefs’ playoff game against the Miami Dolphins? The woman who created it, Kristin Juszczyk, graduated in 2016 from Towson University, which is located in a suburb of Baltimore. And before her husband, Kyle Juszczyk, played for the San Francisco 49ers, he was a fullback with the Ravens from 2013 to 2016. Travis Kelce has performed all too well against the Ravens I mentioned the Ravens beat the Chiefs the last time they played, but Kelce had a good game, finishing with 109 yards and a touchdown on seven catches. Overall, Kelce has 33 receptions for 435 yards and two touchdowns in five career games against Baltimore. The Ravens have their own star tight end Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Sorry, Ravens fans. You’re stuck with Tony Romo and Jim Nantz. | ANALYSIS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Mark Andrews, CB Marlon Humphrey still uncertain for AFC championship game vs. Chiefs Baltimore Ravens | Five things to know about the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens’ opponent in the AFC championship game Baltimore Ravens | Will Taylor Swift come to Baltimore to cheer on Chiefs in AFC title game against Ravens? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens roundtable: Answering 5 biggest questions entering AFC championship vs. Chiefs He’s not dating one of the most famous superstars in the world, but Mark Andrews is Jackson’s favorite receiver. He’s been hurt since mid-November but there’s a real chance he makes his triumphant return on Sunday. He led Baltimore with six touchdown catches when he got hurt, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if, by the end of the game, everyone is talking about the Ravens’ tight end and not Kelce. Even the Ravens’ backup tight end, Isaiah Likely, has played well, catching six touchdown passes in his past six games. The Ravens have their own Super Bowls, too While the Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl champions and also won at the end of the 2019 season, the Ravens won world championships at the end of the 2000 and 2012 seasons. That’s not bad for a franchise that started in 1996, as it’s one fewer than Kansas City has in its 64 seasons before this one. Baltimore has been in exile until now Swift skipped the Baltimore area for her global “The Eras Tour,” which made stops seemingly everywhere but here. M&T Bank Stadium has hosted Beyoncé, Billy Joel and others, but Swift has never played in Baltimore. The last time she performed in Maryland was in 2018 with a stop at FedEx Field (home of the NFL’s Washington Commanders) during her Reputation Stadium World Tour. So there will be plenty of Baltimoreans eager to get a glimpse of the superstar as they cheer on the Ravens. 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Let’s get this out of the way first: Calling an NFL game isn’t easy. It can be difficult for even the most experienced football observers to follow what’s happening on any given play, let alone break it down in real time before the next snap. You can’t fake it. That’s why play-by-play announcers and color analysts who are prepared and knowledgeable stand out above the rest. For many years, Jim Nantz and Tony Romo were at the top of the list. Romo, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, joined the CBS booth in 2017, just one year after his playing career ended. He immediately became a star, earning praise for his excited reactions, detailed breakdowns and ability to predict plays before they happened. From 2018 to 2020, Nantz and Romo ranked first in Awful Announcing’s annual reader vote of the NFL’s best broadcast crews. But their reputation started to change. They fell to fourth in 2022 and sixth in 2023, with the website noting last week increasing “backlash towards Romo and his broadcasting style” and that “the novelty of his exuberance has worn off.” Take, for example, some odd moments from Sunday night’s call of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 27-24 win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round: Nantz remarked that the last time Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs played at Buffalo, there were zero fans at Highmark Stadium because of coronavirus restrictions. In an attempt at humor, Romo said: “Well, that’s how many fans I play in front of normally at my house. I pretend like they’re all there, but there’s zero.” After a go-ahead touchdown pass from Bills quarterback Josh Allen to receiver Khalil Shakir late in the third quarter, Romo remarked that it was the first touchdown given up all season by standout Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, an excellent observation. But he followed up by saying, “This is a dime, not a donkey, by Josh Allen!” Perhaps continuing a running joke he started earlier this season by referring to music star Taylor Swift as Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s “wife,” he reacted to a camera shot of Swift celebrating in front of Kelce’s older brother Jason by saying, “there’s your brother-in-law, right behind you.” After Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid was penalized for illegal batting when he knocked a fumble out of bounds to prevent the Chiefs from recovering it, Romo said “the old Franco Harris play to tip the ball forward to your teammate is no longer allowed.” He apparently confused the “Immaculate Reception” by the Pittsburgh Steelers legend with another famous play known as “The Holy Roller,” a forward fumble by Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler that led to a game-winning touchdown. In the Bills’ win over the Steelers in the wild-card round, Romo was apparently unaware that running back Jaylen Warren had become a big part of Pittsburgh’s offense because he didn’t call many Steelers games. He also made an awkward comment during a break in the action in reference to the national holiday, with no follow-up: “What a day. Martin Luther King Jr. Deserves to have a day named after him.” For Romo, a few gaffes are understandable when speaking on live television for as many hours as he does. But he’s reportedly earning close to $18 million annually as part of a 10-year contract he signed with CBS last year, making him one of the highest-paid announcers. For many years, Jim Nantz, right, and Tony Romo were considered the best NFL broadcasting duo. Not anymore. (Morry Gash/AP file) His decline has been apparent to the network, too. The New York Post reported in February that CBS executives “staged something of an intervention” with Romo the previous offseason to motivate him to take his job more seriously and be better prepared. Compared with other top NFL broadcast booths, namely Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen of Fox, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman of ESPN and Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth of NBC, Nantz and Romo are clearly a tier below. (Though it should be noted that CBS’ production crew delivers a high-quality presentation of the game with graphics, replays, music and camera work, while sideline reporters such as Tracy Wolfson and Evan Washburn are among the best in the game.) Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Mark Andrews, CB Marlon Humphrey still uncertain for AFC championship game vs. Chiefs Baltimore Ravens | Five things to know about the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens’ opponent in the AFC championship game Baltimore Ravens | Will Taylor Swift come to Baltimore to cheer on Chiefs in AFC title game against Ravens? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens roundtable: Answering 5 biggest questions entering AFC championship vs. Chiefs Baltimore Ravens | Baltimore weather: Rain possible for Ravens-Chiefs AFC title game Sunday — and for much of the week leading up to it Olsen, a former tight end, has been exceptional at explaining the nuance of the game. Aikman, the former Cowboys star quarterback, offers pointed analysis while also being unafraid of sharing his opinion — including calling out the Philadelphia Eagles for their apparent lack of effort in an embarrassing wild-card round loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Collinsworth is perhaps just as polarizing as Romo, but he at least brings joy and enthusiasm and is well aware of important trends, analytics and modern philosophy as the majority owner of Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, Burkhardt, Buck and Tirico deliver the appropriate level of excitement during big moments, something Nantz has done inconsistently of late. At times, some of his calls during the Bills-Steelers and Chiefs-Bills games felt as if he was watching an early-season matchup between two mediocre teams. (Though he deserves credit for his call of Tyler Bass’ missed 44-yard field goal attempt late in the fourth quarter Sunday: “Wide. Right. The two most dreaded words in Buffalo have surfaced again.”) Unfortunately for Ravens and other NFL fans, Nantz and Romo will be all too familiar during the postseason. In addition to broadcasting Sunday’s AFC championship game, the first at M&T Bank Stadium and the first in Baltimore since 1971, CBS will also have the call for Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas on Feb. 11. Players and coaches need to bring their best in the postseason to avoid getting sent home. For many fans, these games provide some of the most memorable moments of their lives. It’s only fair that announcers treat their jobs with the appropriate level of preparation and respect. AFC championship game Chiefs at Ravens Sunday, 3 p.m. TV: CBS Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM Line: Ravens by 3 1/2 View the full article

The Ravens still don’t know if tight end Mark Andrews and cornerback Marlon Humphrey will return from injuries for Sunday’s AFC championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs, coach John Harbaugh said on Monday. Andrews, who injured his ankle in the Ravens’ Nov. 16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, was a full practice participant on Wednesday and Thursday last week before he and the team decided he was not quite ready to contribute in the divisional round Saturday against the Houston Texans. “We’ll just see how it goes,” Harbaugh said. “We’re looking forward to it. He practiced last week, and I’m sure he’ll practice again this week. If he’s ready to play, he’ll play.” Isaiah Likely has filled in superbly, catching six touchdown passes in the team’s past six games, including one against Houston. Humphrey limped off with a calf injury in the team’s New Year’s Eve victory over the Miami Dolphins and did not practice last week. “I promise you if Marlon can go, he will. If he can practice, he will,” Harbaugh said. “You’ll see it as the week goes on, based on how much he practices. You’ll probably get a pretty good feel for it. If he can be out there, he’ll for sure be out there. I’m very hopeful, but we’ll have to see what happens.” Without Humphrey, the Ravens kept Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud from reaching the red zone or scoring an offensive touchdown. Ronald Darby will likely start across from Brandon Stephens at cornerback if the three-time Pro Bowl selection is unavailable. Harbaugh said his top-seeded team is eager to host the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs, who will appear in their sixth straight AFC championship game. “It’s a huge challenge,” he said. “They’ve been here before. It’s our first time with this team and these guys, but we’re up for the challenge, and we’re excited.” The Ravens have not made it this far since they won the Super Bowl 11 years ago, and kicker Justin Tucker is the only player remaining from that team. They have never hosted a conference championship game, and this will be the first one in Baltimore since the Colts beat the Oakland Raiders in 1971. They’ll have to devise a game plan to limit Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has won two Super Bowls and two NFL Most Valuable Player Awards. “He extends plays, buys time to run sometimes, buys time to throw,” Harbaugh said. “He’s unique, plays his own brand of football. We’ll just have to study him and do our best to keep him under wraps.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Five things to know about the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens’ opponent in the AFC championship game Baltimore Ravens | Will Taylor Swift come to Baltimore to cheer on Chiefs in AFC title game against Ravens? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens roundtable: Answering 5 biggest questions entering AFC championship vs. Chiefs Baltimore Ravens | Baltimore weather: Rain possible for Ravens-Chiefs AFC title game Sunday — and for much of the week leading up to it Baltimore Ravens | Travis Kelce scores twice and Chiefs beat Bills, 27-24, to advance to face Ravens in AFC championship They’ll also have to deal with running back Isaiah Pacheco, whom Harbaugh called “as physical a runner as there is in this league,” and with an aggressive defense coordinated by Steve Spagnuolo, who worked on Harbaugh’s staff in 2013 and 2014. The Ravens and this year’s MVP favorite, Lamar Jackson, beat Mahomes and the Chiefs the last time they played in 2021 but had lost three straight to Kansas City before that. Harbaugh said those matchups and his past experiences in AFC championship games won’t have much bearing on Sunday’s contest. “It’s a new time. It’s this team against that team at this time,” he said. “That’s what we’re focused on. We’ve just got to keep it simple and get ready to play the game.” AFC championship game Chiefs at Ravens Sunday, 3 p.m. TV: CBS Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM Line: Ravens by 3 1/2 View the full article

The Ravens are one win away from reaching the Super Bowl. All that stands in their way are the defending champions. The Kansas City Chiefs will head to Baltimore for Sunday’s AFC championship game after defeating the Buffalo Bills, 27-24, in the divisional round. It’s the first home AFC title game for the Ravens and the first in Baltimore since 1971, when the Colts beat the Oakland Raiders. It’s also the first matchup between Baltimore and Kansas City since September 2021, when Lamar Jackson and the Ravens held on for a thrilling 36-35 win at M&T Bank Stadium. To get ready for the rematch, here are five things to know about the Chiefs: They also have an MVP quarterback While Jackson is on his way to earning a second NFL Most Valuable Player Award, he’s going up against a quarterback unanimously considered the best in the league. Patrick Mahomes is not only a two-time MVP winner, but a two-time Super Bowl champion, leading Kansas City to the title in the 2018 and 2022 seasons. Drafted in the first round one year before Jackson in 2017, the 28-year-old Mahomes has already put together one of the most impressive careers in league history. And, like Jackson, he’s reshaped how the position is played with dazzling arm angles, no-look throws and a brilliant ability to scramble. But while Jackson just earned his second career postseason victory in Saturday’s 34-10 rout of the Houston Texans, Mahomes is tied for fourth in NFL history with 13 playoff wins. Only Tom Brady (35-13), Joe Montana (16-7), Terry Bradshaw (14-5), John Elway (14-7) and Peyton Manning (14-13) have more, though Mahomes has a much higher winning percentage (.812) at 13-3. Sunday’s game in Baltimore, however, will be just the second road game of Mahomes’ postseason career. He’s 3-1 in the regular season against the Ravens, with his lone loss coming in the last meeting in 2021, but he has deep respect for Baltimore fans. Earlier this year, he said that M&T Bank Stadium is one of just two venues across the NFL that he needed to use a silent count to communicate with his teammates because the crowd noise was so loud. Their receivers are among the league’s worst By his lofty standards, Mahomes’ regular-season statistics — 4,183 yards, 27 touchdown passes, 14 interceptions, 92.6 passer rating — are way down this season. His receivers are a big reason why. Kansas City dropped a league-leading 44 passes during the regular season, a rate of 6.9%. For comparison, the Ravens had 27 drops with a rate of 5.5%, while the San Francisco 49ers had the league’s most reliable hands with just nine drops. After trading star Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins before the 2021 season, the Chiefs have struggled to find a reliable target outside of tight end Travis Kelce, though it hasn’t stopped Mahomes and coach Andy Reid from continuing their playoff success. But even Kelce has not been as effective this season, finishing the regular season with fewer than 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2016. Rookie wideout Rashee Rice, a second-round draft pick, has stepped up with 79 catches for 938 yards, but there is a big drop-off behind those two. Running back Isiah Pacheco (44 catches for 244 yards) and No. 2 tight end Noah Gray (28 for 305) are the top targets behind Kelce and Rice, with Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and midseason pickup Mecole Hardman — who nearly cost the Chiefs the victory Sunday with a fumble at the goal line that gave the ball back to the Bills in the fourth quarter — all struggling to both hold onto the ball and develop a connection with Mahomes. Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, right, defends Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs during Sunday’s playoff game in Orchard Park, New York. (Matt Durisko/AP) Their defense is elite No defense has been better than the Ravens’ this season, but the Chiefs’ comes pretty close. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Will Taylor Swift come to Baltimore to cheer on Chiefs in AFC title game against Ravens? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens roundtable: Answering 5 biggest questions entering AFC championship vs. Chiefs Baltimore Ravens | Baltimore weather: Rain possible for Ravens-Chiefs AFC title game Sunday — and for much of the week leading up to it Baltimore Ravens | Travis Kelce scores twice and Chiefs beat Bills, 27-24, to advance to face Ravens in AFC championship Baltimore Ravens | Ravens to host Chiefs in AFC championship game Sunday at 3 p.m. When Mahomes and the offense struggled early in the season, it was often the defense that bailed them out. Only Baltimore allowed fewer points per game than Kansas City (17.3), which also ranked second behind the Cleveland Browns in total defense, allowing 289.8 yards per game. The Chiefs ranked second behind the Ravens in sacks (57), had the second-highest quarterback pressure rate (27.8%) and missed just 71 tackles, the fourth-lowest mark in the league. While Kansas City has been vulnerable against the run — allowing 182 rushing yards against Buffalo — it has been extremely effective against the pass thanks to a pair of budding stars at cornerback. Trent McDuffie, a 2021 first-round pick, earned first-team All-Pro honors this season, while L’Jarius Sneed was considered All-Pro caliber. Linebackers Nick Bolton and Leo Chenal have also graded well, with Bolton emerging as one of the league’s best middle linebackers. Five-time Pro Bowl selection Chris Jones (10 1/2 sacks) is an elite defensive lineman, while 2022 first-round pick George Karlaftis (10 1/2 sacks) has taken a big leap forward. Fellow defensive end Charles Omenihu recorded seven sacks following a six-game suspension. Injuries could be a concern, however, as safety Mike Edwards (concussion protocol) and linebacker Willie Gay Jr. (neck) exited the win over Buffalo. On top of all of that talent, Steve Spagnuolo remains one of the best defensive coordinators in the league. The 64-year-old — perhaps best known for leading the 2007 New York Giants defense that toppled Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl — is renowned for his unique game plans and ability to confuse opposing quarterbacks and has a history of stopping elite offenses in the postseason. Their coach was John Harbaugh’s mentor Back in 1999, the Philadelphia Eagles fired coach Ray Rhodes and hired Andy Reid, then the Green Bay Packers’ quarterbacks coach. Reid, a first-time head coach, chose to retain some of the members of Rhodes’ staff. One of them was John Harbaugh. “Andy did not have to give me a chance coming in at the time,” Harbaugh said in 2018. “I’m sure he had a lot of people he knew, but he decided to take a chance on me, and like I said, I’ll be forever grateful for that.” Harbaugh remained on Reid’s staff as special teams coordinator for nine seasons before becoming defensive backs coach in 2007. It helped gain the attention of the Ravens, who hired Harbaugh as coach over Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. The rest, as they say, is history. Now in his 16th season in Baltimore, the 61-year-old Harbaugh has become one of the most respected coaches in league history and is currently the second-longest-tenured. Postseason success has been elusive since he led the Ravens to the Super Bowl title after the 2012 season, with Baltimore failing to advance past the divisional round until this year’s breakthrough. But that’s not the only record Harbaugh will be seeking to improve when the Chiefs come to town: He’s 2-5 against Reid. Taylor Swift, right, and Brittany Mahomes react during the third quarter of Sunday night’s playoff game between the Chiefs and Bills in Orchard Park, New York. (Frank Franklin II/AP) Their star tight end has a very famous girlfriend You might have heard about Taylor Swift and Kelce. If not, allow us to explain. Swift, the world-famous singer, songwriter, musician and producer, started dating the Chiefs tight end earlier this season, bringing a flood of attention to Kelce, his family, the team and the NFL. Swift, a 12-time Grammy Award winner who captivated audiences with her global “Eras Tour,” has been spotted at Chiefs games around the country this year sitting in luxury suites next to Kelce’s mom Donna, Mahomes’ wife Brittany, actress Cara Delevingne and other stars. She attended Sunday night’s playoff game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, and was shown on CBS’ television broadcast along with a shirtless Jason Kelce, Travis’ older brother who is expected to retire after a standout career as the Eagles’ center. Of course, that means Baltimore is on “Swift Watch” for Sunday’s game. Keep your eyes peeled. AFC championship game Chiefs at Ravens Sunday, 3 p.m. TV: CBS Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM Line: Ravens by 2 1/2 View the full article

The Kansas City Chiefs are headed to Baltimore to take on the Ravens for the AFC title, but the party train won’t truly arrive until Taylor Swift steps off in Charm City. Since late September, Swift has been a fixture at NFL games as she shows her support for partner Travis Kelce, who plays tight end for the Chiefs. Much has been made of Swift’s appearances at football games, particularly the camera’s frequent focus on her as she charms and conquers a different kind of stadium crowd than her usual. Swift’s The Eras Tour was the top-grossing concert in 2023 and the Federal Reserve credited the 34-year-old pop star with boosting the economy. But will she boost the Chiefs’ chances against the Ravens, who are playing for the AFC championship at home for the first time? The Chiefs are 8-3 during the regular season and postseason when Swift has attended games and 5-3 when she hasn’t. So while Swift may be Kelce’s good luck charm in life, it’s not certain that she makes a difference to the play on the field, despite what some critics on social media have said. Taylor Swift wears a Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce jacket as she arrives before an NFL wild-card playoff football game between the Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) Singer Taylor Swift cheers prior to the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 1, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. FILE – Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, center left, and singer Taylor Swift leave Arrowhead Stadium after an NFL football game between the Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers, Oct. 22, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. A friendship bracelet with a phone number: that’s how Kelce planned to woo Swift when he went to her Eras Tour concert stop in the Missouri capital. The romance that united sports and music fans, a celestial wonder that drew millions of eyes skyward and a long overdue homecoming for some Native American tribes were just some of the moments that inspired us and brought joy in 2023. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File) Ed Zurga/AP Fans hold signs referring to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift during the first half of an NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday in Kansas City, Mo. Taylor Swift celebrates with fans during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Jan. 13, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) Taylor Swift arrives at Highmark Stadium to watch an NFL AFC division playoff football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes) A Buffalo Bills fan hold a cardboard cutout of Taylor Swift during the second quarter in the AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on Jan. 21, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) Taylor Swift, right, and Brittany Mahomes react during the third quarter Sunday in Orchard Park, New York, during the Chiefs' playoff victory against the Bills. (Frank Franklin II/AP) Show Caption of Expand Swifties, as her fans are called, will no doubt be charmed by the singer’s visit to Baltimore, which has not been lucky enough to host one of Swift’s concerts. The last time she performed in Maryland was at FedEx Field in Landover in 2018 during her Reputation Stadium Tour. Meanwhile, Ravens fans are no doubt hoping Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium will indeed be the last stop on Swift’s NFL tour. Related Articles Entertainment | Taylor Swift’s trending NFL jacket designed by Towson grad Kristin Juszczyk Entertainment | Michelle Deal-Zimmerman: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are desperate distraction from a world on fire | STAFF COMMENTARY View the full article

The Ravens will play the Chiefs in the AFC championship Sunday at 3 p.m. at M&T Bank Stadium after Kansas City held on to beat the Bills, 27-24, in the divisional round of the playoffs Sunday night in Buffalo. Baltimore advanced with a 34-10 blowout of the Houston Texans on Saturday. For the Chiefs, it’s their sixth straight appearance in the conference championship game, while its just the fifth all-time and first since the 2012 season for the Ravens. The last time the teams played was Week 2 of the 2021 season, when Baltimore rallied to a 36-35 win as Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns and threw for another score. This time, the Ravens are the top seed in the AFC after going 13-4 in the regular season, while the third-seeded Chiefs will be looking for their second straight road win and third overall in this year’s playoffs after advancing out of the wild-card round. Baltimore Sun reporters Brian Wacker, Childs Walker and Hayes Gardner and columnist Mike Preston answer the five biggest questions facing the Ravens as they prepare to take on Kansas City. How can the Ravens’ defense stop Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes? Wacker: Make Mahomes hold the ball by taking away his first read in coverage and be able apply pressure with simulated blitzes and disguised looks by rushing only four players and spying the quarterback. That’s easier said than done, of course, but that was Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner’s breakdown of why Mahomes has struggled against the Cincinnati Bengals in recent years. The Ravens have been masters of getting to quarterbacks without rushing more than four, and it’ll be imperative to not let tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Rashee Rice roam free in the middle and downfield. Walker: They need to force Mahomes to move the ball in small bites. Mike Macdonald’s defense is designed for the task, with disguised looks and a disciplined secondary that will force difficult reads. The Ravens generate pressure up the middle and from the edges without blitzing relentlessly, an essential component to reducing Mahomes’ big-play opportunities. Linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen will help muddy the picture in front of him. All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton could be the most important defensive player on the field, whether the Ravens use him to cover Kelce, blow up screens or contain Mahomes’ scrambles. Gardner: If I had an easy answer to this one, I’d have more interview requests than Macdonald. It’s a tall order, and I doubt the Chiefs will have as many false starts at M&T Bank Stadium as the Texans did. Plus, it’ll be a monumental task to keep a Mahomes offense out of the red zone, like the Ravens did to Houston. But if Baltimore’ pass rushers can provide pressure, Macdonald can keep Mahomes off balance with different looks and the secondary can step up on a big stage, the Ravens’ defense — the best in the NFL all year — can keep even Mahomes in check. Preston: The Ravens need to get an early lead and then get pressure with their front four so they can drop six or seven into coverage. It’s hard to pressure Mahomes, even for a team like the Ravens, who love to bring pressure off the perimeter or corner. Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore SunRavens quarterback Lamar Jackson dives into the end zone past Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna for a touchdown during the fourth quarter Sept. 19, 2021. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) How will the Ravens’ offense attack the Chiefs’ defense? Wacker: Against the Texans, Jackson picked apart the secondary with his arm in the second half and broke their will with his legs. The Chiefs have a better pass defense, but dual-threat quarterbacks, as we saw with the Bills’ Josh Allen on Sunday, can have success. Collectively, the Bills ran for 182 yards, and the Ravens this season led the NFL in rushing yards. Expect a mix of runs, the occasional deep throw and wide receiver Zay Flowers and tight ends Isiah Likely and/or Mark Andrews (if he plays) to see a healthy dose of targets. Walker: They’re at their best when they mix it up and stay aggressive on early downs as they did in the second half against the Texans. But this will be a week for the Raven’s top-ranked ground game to shine. They went for 229 yards against a Houston run defense that was one of the league’s best down the stretch, with Jackson more willing to take off than he was for most of the regular season. They’ll face a softer run defense this time around. The Chiefs allowed 4.5 yards per attempt during the regular season, 24th in the league. Gardner: Jackson ran often against the Texans. I anticipate more of that — both designed runs and scrambles — as Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken seeks to capitalize on the singular talent Jackson is. Preston: Run the football. Pound the Chiefs with a steady diet of Gus Edwards and Dalvin Cook. The Ravens might also want to use an extra offensive lineman as a tight end or use the two-tight end formation to wear down Kansas City. What’s the Ravens’ biggest concern going up against the Chiefs? Wacker: Aside from the obvious of Mahomes, Kelce and a surging defense, it’s running back Isiah Pacheco. The 2022 seventh-round draft pick out of Rutgers ate up the Bills’ defense with 97 yards on just 15 carries. Baltimore has also been susceptible to tough runners like Pacheco, who also has plenty of speed. But the game could also be decided by the Chiefs’ defense, which was second in sacks behind Baltimore this season and is third in yards allowed per catch. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Five things to know about the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens’ opponent in the AFC championship game Baltimore Ravens | Will Taylor Swift come to Baltimore to cheer on Chiefs in AFC title game against Ravens? Baltimore Ravens | Baltimore weather: Rain possible for Ravens-Chiefs AFC title game Sunday — and for much of the week leading up to it Baltimore Ravens | Travis Kelce scores twice and Chiefs beat Bills, 27-24, to advance to face Ravens in AFC championship Baltimore Ravens | Ravens to host Chiefs in AFC championship game Sunday at 3 p.m. Walker: They’ll be facing a quarterback who can upset even the best-laid plans with improvisation. The Ravens showed remarkable discipline in keeping the Texans’ C.J. Stroud out of the red zone with nary a sack nor takeaway. They stuck to their rules, an approach that will serve them well Sunday. But how many times have we seen Mahomes come up with a scramble to convert on a key third down or squeeze a rocket throw into the smallest sliver of space? He’s the NFL’s signature player because there is no reliable method to shut him down. Gardner: The obvious answer is containing Mahomes, the NFL’s best player of the past five years and a wizard with the ball. But the Ravens’ own special teams is also a consideration; if the Ravens’ defense hadn’t been so stout throughout against the Texans, the 67-yard punt return Baltimore allowed Saturday could’ve been damaging. The Ravens can’t have a similar slip-up Sunday. Preston: It’s Mahomes, he is the best quarterback in the NFL. He doesn’t have the playmakers of previous years, but to get Kansas City into the AFC championship game speaks volumes about his ability. What does Lamar Jackson have to do against the Chiefs to reach his first Super Bowl? Wacker: The same thing he has been doing: Evolving as the game goes on, torturing defenses with his feet, precise passes and smart decisions while also not fumbling or turning the ball over. Jackson has continued to put together one MVP performance after another and he’ll need one more against the NFL’s reigning MVP to reach his first Super Bowl. Walker: Nothing different than he did in the last few games of the regular season or in the divisional round against Houston. Jackson has so many more answers than he did as a young quarterback, making quick reads against the blitz and probing downfield even as he extends plays with his legs. He’s still an exceptional runner, but there’s no longer any question that he’ll make big-time throws against a playoff-caliber defense. He doesn’t get flustered and rush into mistakes when the game isn’t going his way. He just needs to trust his tools and the best set of targets he’s had in six years as a Raven. Gardner: Jackson and Mahomes are both former MVPs — the only ones who played the bulk of this past NFL season — and I expect big performances from both. It’ll be fun to watch. The difference might be in taking care of the football. Jackson has done a good job of that lately and he’ll need to keep that up. As Monken mentioned last week when asked about the importance of ball security and the turnover battle: “It’s the No. 1 indicator of winning and losing.” Preston: Relax, and get involved in the running game early. He should be able to pop some runs off the corner, but the Ravens are nearly unbeatable when he doesn’t turn the ball over. Texans running back Devin Singletary is tackled by Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, bottom, and linebacker Roquan Smith in the second quarter Saturday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Who will be the biggest X-factor in the game? Wacker: Inside linebacker Roquan Smith is the heart and soul of the Ravens’ defense and might be the unit’s most valuable player, but safety Kyle Hamilton is perhaps its best given his unique versatility that is matched with a high football IQ. The Chiefs’ screen game and short passes can destroy a defense, but Hamilton has the ability to do the same to the rhythm of an offense. Walker: Pacheco will never be the headline performer in an offense featuring Mahomes and Kelce, but the Ravens have struggled against relentless power runners this year, and that’s exactly what he is. Pacheco averaged 4.6 yards per carry during the regular season, and the Bills could not bring him down at crucial junctures Sunday. The Ravens will need an excellent game from nose tackle Michael Pierce, quietly one of their best defenders against Houston, and sound tackling from Smith, Queen and Hamilton. They’ll concede some yards to Pacheco as they drop seven or eight defenders into coverage to confuse Mahomes, but they can’t let him run wild. Gardner: Is the greatest kicker of all time an X-factor? A wide-left miss hurt the Packers on Saturday and a wide-right one doomed the Bills on Sunday, emphasizing the importance of field goals. In a game expected to come down to the wire — the line is, fittingly, 2 1/2 points — Tucker’s boot might be pivotal in the waning seconds. Preston: Let’s see what Chiefs coach Andy Reid will come up with to attack the Ravens’ defense. The Ravens have played well, but not against a quarterback as good as Mahomes. Reid usually has some trick plays he comes up with in big games. View the full article

There’s a 40% chance of rain Sunday when the Ravens play the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game. In fact, rain is in the forecast daily starting Tuesday night. At least temperatures will warm up after last week’s freeze and the snow from last Tuesday and Friday is likely to start melting soon. Related Articles Weather | Tickets for Ravens’ first home AFC championship game go on sale Tuesday at 10 a.m. Weather | Dance moves by Ravens coach John Harbaugh invite Baltimore to ‘do the Harbaugh’ Weather | Five things we learned from the Ravens’ 34-10 playoff over the Houston Texans Weather | No takeaways, no sacks, no problem: Ravens’ steady defense keeps Texans out of red zone in playoff win Weather | Mike Preston: Give Ravens OC Todd Monken a game ball for second-half adjustments vs. Texans | COMMENTARY Monday will be cold with a daytime high temperature around 39 degrees and a low near 31 at night, according to the National Weather Service. Tuesday will have a daytime high around 45 degrees and a 40% chance of rain at night with a low near 37. The rain will continue Wednesday as temperature rise into the 40s with a 60% chance of rain during the daytime and 70% chance at night. Thursday temperatures will rise into the 50s with an 80% chance of rain during the daytime and 70% chance at night. Friday the high will jump to around 65 degrees, according to the NWS, with at least a 40% chance of rain from Friday morning until Saturday night The Ravens will host the Chiefs for the conference championship at M&T Bank Stadium at 3 p.m. Sunday, when the forecast calls for a 40% chance of rain with a high temperature of 49. View the full article

By JOHN WAWROW (AP Sports Writer) ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Travis Kelce caught two touchdown passes from Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs advanced to their sixth straight AFC championship game with a 27-24 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. Isiah Pacheco scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 4-yard run 40 seconds into the fourth quarter in a game the teams traded leads five times. The Chiefs then clinched the win by running out the clock after Buffalo’s Tyler Bass was wide right on a 44-yard field goal attempt with 1:43 remaining. The defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (13-6) move on to face the conference’s top-seeded Baltimore Ravens, who beat Houston 34-10 on Saturday. Kansas City is 0-1 in the playoffs against the Ravens, following a 30-7 loss in the 2010 wild-card round. Baltimore defeated Kansas City 36-35 in their most recent regular-season matchup in Week 2 of the 2021 season. Kansas City has never lost in the divisional round since Mahomes took over as starter in 2018, and the Chiefs have now won five consecutive playoff games since a 27-24 overtime loss to Cincinnati in the AFC championship game during the 2021 season. Mahomes, a two-time NFL MVP, can also check off another first on his record by winning his first road start in the playoffs — not counting Super Bowls — and improving his postseason mark to 13-3. The Bills (12-7) had their third consecutive postseason end in the divisional round, following losses to Cincinnati last year and the Chiefs in 2021. And the Chiefs ended Buffalo’s season for the third time in four years, including a 38-24 decision at Kansas City in the 2020 season AFC championship game. It was another disappointing finish for a Bills team that won its fourth consecutive AFC East title, and was on a six-game roll since a 20-17 win at Kansas City on Dec. 10. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl View the full article

The Ravens will host the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game Sunday at 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast on CBS. It will be the fifth appearance in the conference championship game for the Ravens but their first at home at M&T Bank Stadium. It also marks the first AFC title game in Baltimore since 1971, when the Colts beat the Oakland Raiders. Tickets for Sunday’s game go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The Ravens, who finished the regular season 13-4 and are the top seed in the AFC, reached this year’s conference championship by crushing the Houston Texans, 34-10, in the divisional round Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium. Quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is the favorite to win his second NFL Most Valuable Player award, threw for two touchdowns and ran for 100 yards and two more scores as Baltimore scored 24 unanswered points in the second half. “We’re not in the dance yet, but I’m looking forward to next week,” Jackson said Saturday. “I’m not even thinking about the Super Bowl until we handle business.” The Chiefs advanced by beating the Bills, 27-24, on Sunday night in Buffalo, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes to tight end Travis Kelce and Bills kicker Tyler Bass missed a game-tying 44-yard field goal attempt with 1:47 left. It marks the sixth straight AFC championship game appearance for Kansas City, which won two Super Bowl titles in the previous four seasons. Baltimore last played Kansas City early in Week 2 of 2021, when Jackson ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns and threw for a score to lead the Ravens to a come-from-behind 36-35 victory in Baltimore that was sealed when outside linebacker Odafe Oweh recovered a fumble by Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire late in the fourth quarter. The win was Jackson’s first in four games against Kansas City. Sunday’s winner will advance to Super Bowl 58 on Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m. in Las Vegas, where they will play the winner of the NFC championship game between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers. The Ravens opened as 2 1/2-point favorites. AFC championship game Chiefs at Ravens Sunday, 3 p.m. TV: CBS Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM Line: Ravens by 2 1/2 View the full article

By LARRY LAGE (AP Sports Writer) DETROIT (AP) — Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes and the Detroit Lions beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23 in a divisional-round playoff game on Sunday, lifting the long-suffering franchise into the NFC championship for the first time in 32 years and just the second time in franchise history. The Lions (14-5) won two playoff games in a season for the first time since 1957, the last year they won the NFL title. They will play at San Francisco, the NFC’s top seed, next Sunday for a spot in the Super Bowl — a game they have never played in. Jahmyr Gibbs ran through a huge hole for a tiebreaking, 31-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and Goff made it a two-TD lead when he connected with Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 9-yard score with 6:22 left. Baker Mayfield threw three TD passes for Tampa Bay (10-9), including a 16-yard toss to Mike Evans that got the Bucs within one score with 4:37 left. Detroit couldn’t run out the clock on offense, giving Tampa Bay one last chance, but Mayfield’s pass over the middle was intercepted by linebacker Derrick Barnes, the QB’s second pick of the day. “Our defense stepped up there at the end. I thought our defense played a hell of a game all night and got the ball back there to finish it,” Goff said. The Lions kneeled to run out the clock as their fans stood, screamed and twirled white towels. “They’re the best. Look around right now. They’re not going to leave here for quite some time,” Goff said. “And this is our last one in front of them and they were special tonight as they were last week. But they deserve it. They deserve this. They deserve to enjoy this and hope to give them a lot more moving forward.” Goff finished 30 of 43 for 287 yards and directed an efficient second-half offense for the Lions, who had long touchdown drives on three consecutive possessions. St. Brown had eight catches for 77 yards, and his TD catch capped a masterful 10-play, 89-yard drive. Gibbs, an electric rookie Tampa Bay didn’t have to face when it lost to Detroit in the regular season, had 74 yards rushing on nine carries and four receptions for 40 yards. Mayfield was 26 of 41 for 349 yards. His early pick went off Mike Evans’ hands, and his late one was an ill-advised throw. Evans had eight receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown. Rachaad White had 55 yards rushing on nine carries, a total coach Todd Bowles may lament wasn’t higher, and four catches for 36 yards. The Lions, and their desperate-for-a-winner fans, hope their second appearance in the NFC title game works out better than the first when Washington routed them 41-10 on Jan. 12, 1992. Detroit and Tampa Bay traded field goals and touchdowns to enter the fourth quarter in a 17-all tie. The Lions went ahead for a third time with 3:48 left in the third quarter, when coach Dan Campbell went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1 and Craig Reynolds ran up the middle for a score that ended a 10-play, 64-yard drive. Mayfield and the Bucs bounced back again with the crafty quarterback, who resurrected his career this season, avoiding sacks before connecting with White on a 12-yard pass to make it 17-all late in the third. Gibbs started left and cut back to the right on his tiebreaking touchdown run. The Lions were fortunate to score first. C.J. Gardner-Johnson picked off Mayfield’s pass that went through Evans’ hands to end Tampa Bay’s first drive. Goff almost gave it back, underthrowing a pass into the end zone that defensive back Jamel Dean dropped, and two snaps later, Michael Badgley made a 23-yard field goal. Mayfield answered, converting a third down with an 18-yard pass to Evans and throwing a 23-yard pass to Trey Palmer on consecutive plays to set up Chase McLaughlin’s 43-yard kick. Goff converted a third down with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Josh Reynolds early in the second quarter. Mayfield used his feet and arm to pull the Bucs into a tie just before halftime. He ran for 14 yards — the longest run by a Tampa Bay quarterback in a playoff game — on a third down and then connected with Evans for 27- and 29-yard passes to set up a 2-yard TD pass to Cade Cotton. INJURIES Bucs: S Kaevon Merriweather (ankle) was injured in the third quarter and was carted off the field. Dean limped off the field in the fourth. Lions: G Jonah Jackson (knee) was injured in the first half and didn’t return. TE Brock Wright (forearm) was knocked out of the game in the second half. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl View the full article

Tickets for the Ravens’ first home AFC championship game will go on sale to the public Tuesday at 10 a.m. Kickoff at M&T Bank Stadium is 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28, against the winner of Sunday night’s divisional round game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. The Ravens advanced to the championship game by beating the Houston Texans, 34-10, on Saturday. Tickets can be purchased at Baltimoreravens.com/playofftickets. “We’re thrilled to host the AFC Championship for the first time in franchise history,” Ravens senior vice president of ticket sales and operations Baker Koppelman said in a news release. “This will be a monumental day in Baltimore sports history and something we hope our fans remember forever.” View the full article

They’re not quite Ray Lewis’ “The Squirrel,” but Ravens coach John Harbaugh’s locker room dance moves have certainly already made their mark on team culture. Harbaugh was recorded joining his team in a celebratory locker room dance again Saturday after their 34-10 divisional round playoff victory over the Houston Texans that pushed Baltimore to next Sunday’s AFC championship game, the first the city will host since 1971. The video, in which he is seen dancing along with rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers and several assistants, quickly went viral. “I was hyped to see it,” said Ryan Daly, part of the self-named “Ravens Walk crew” that has performed their TikTok-famous, Baltimore club-influenced dance routines at every home game this season. Daly, known by the nickname “Ayo Shag” on social media, said Harbaugh is definitely on the right track, with the right influences. The 61-year-old is probably picking up some lessons from Odell Beckham Jr., the Ravens’ animated wide receiver, said Kenneth Worsley, a fellow member of the pregame hype crew who performs as “TSU Flash.” “[Harbaugh] was definitely busting moves,” said Wayne “Ty” Reese, known as “Uncle Grandpa” on the Ravens Walk. By Sunday afternoon, the renowned 92Q DJ, real name Johnny Doswell, got to work on a song for the Ravens. Streaming part of the production process on Instagram, he sampled Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony’s “The Hustle.” “It’s really gonna be like a line dance,” Doswell said on the livestream. He stopped streaming before writing out any lines but noted the 1975 disco hit’s repeated lyric “do the hustle!” would, naturally, be replaced by “do the Harbaugh!” View the full article

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The winner of today’s Bills-Chiefs game will play the Ravens in next Sunday’s AFC Championship game in Baltimore. If Kansas City wins, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, receiver Travis Kelce and maybe Kelce’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift, will be coming to town. If the Bills win, it will be quarterback Josh Allen and receiver Stefon Diggs, a Maryland-native, heading to Charm City. Tell us which team you want to win today’s game. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Dalvin Cook on getting his first action | VIDEO Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Brandon Stephens on hosting the AFC Championship | VIDEO Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Lamar Jackson on his performance | VIDEO Baltimore Ravens | Five things we learned from the Ravens’ 34-10 playoff over the Houston Texans Baltimore Ravens | Christian McCaffrey’s go-ahead TD rallies 49ers to 24-21 playoff win over Packers View the full article

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After a tense first half, the Ravens made it clear they don’t rattle easily, making the necessary tactical adjustments to dominate the Houston Texans, 34-10, behind a poised masterpiece from Lamar Jackson. Here are five things we learned from the game. The Ravens banished the ghosts of 2019 Panic? No. The Ravens had answered too many questions through 17 games of excellent regular-season football to believe they were in trouble when they went to the halftime locker room tied at 10 with the underdog Texans. Disgust? Yes. They had bottled up quarterback phenom C.J. Stroud. They had expected the blitzes Houston threw at Jackson on 13 of his 18 first-half dropbacks. But their best-laid plans had produced no advantage. They had lapsed in the face of the Texans’ pressure. Their punt team had skewed too far left, leaving a lane up the middle for returner Steven Sims to race 67 yards for a game-tying touchdown. This was not work worthy of a Super Bowl aspirant. “I think everybody was just kind of a little edgy,” coach John Harbaugh said. No one more than Jackson, who filled the air with profanity as he urged himself and his teammates to play up to their capabilities. For two weeks before Saturday’s game, the Ravens faced questions about 2019, the last time they earned the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. That team also blazed through November and December, but when the Tennessee Titans jumped ahead 14-0 in the divisional round of the playoffs, a younger Jackson and his mates found no answer. They said this time would be different, that they were more mature, less apt to look past the challenge right in front of them. Well, here was their chance to prove it after an uneasy first half against the Texans. Twenty-four straight points, three brilliantly varied touchdown drives and 30 minutes of textbook defense later, we had our answer. The 2023 Ravens are not the 2019 Ravens. Year 6 Jackson is not Year 2 Jackson. This group doesn’t depend on first-round knockouts. It counterpunches, finds side doors when the frontal assault doesn’t work, retunes itself on the fly. “It’s a different team,” Jackson said when the work was complete. “Like I’ve been saying.” Whatever happens from here, the Ravens and their franchise player will no longer carry the albatross of previous failures. They have reached a new frontier, with ambitions to push beyond and good reason to believe they’re equipped for the mission. In a way, it was probably good that victory did not come easily. They learned that the edginess they felt at halftime was not an overture to failure but a call to arms. “Our guys are going to stay edgy,” Harbaugh said. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, right, celebrates his fourth-quarter rushing touchdown against the Texans with wide receiver Zay Flowers on Saturday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Lamar Jackson finally has a great playoff performance to his name The question was about the frigid temperatures forecast for Saturday, but Jackson opted for a broader answer when he spoke with reporters four days before facing the Texans. “I’m ready for anything,” he said. He had felt that way all season, somehow both looser and more intense than he had been in his previous five NFL years. His confidence was born of moment-to-moment focus and a sense that he possessed far more answers than he did the last time he led the Ravens to a No. 1 seed at the end of his first full season as a starter. That Jackson was all brilliance. This one is brilliant on top of a rock-solid foundation. He wasn’t terrible in the first half — 7-for-11 with a touchdown against all that pressure, a team-high 50 rushing yards. But merely decent is not a standard Jackson has accepted this season. He summoned something far greater after halftime, throwing decisively, manipulating the Texans like a collection of 11 marionettes, running furiously when he sniffed the goal line. Jackson won a playoff game three years ago, erasing a Titans lead with one of the greatest touchdown runs of his career and steering the Ravens through a tense second half in hostile Nashville. But he never reached the level of mastery we saw from him in Saturday’s second half, when he completed 9 of 11 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown and ran for 50 yards and two more scores. Every drive ended with points, and Stroud could hardly get on the field to answer. “Lamar played out of his mind,” Harbaugh said. He was the one who called out the team at halftime. He was the one who conspired with offensive coordinator Todd Monken to counter Houston’s blitzes. He was the one who raced into the tunnel after his final touchdown, stirring the crowd of 71,018 to a frenzied pitch. This was Jackson’s bravura show, and here’s the thing: teammates weren’t the least bit surprised. “I think he’s been doing it all year,” left tackle Ronnie Stanley said. “That part’s nothing new for me or any of the guys on the field. We’ve been seeing that from him week in and week out, during the week in practice. He’s a field general. He knows when things aren’t going right, and he’s trying to do everything in his control to get us back on the right track.” Ravens defensive tackle Travis Jones pressures Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in the first quarter Saturday. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) The Ravens didn’t need sacks or turnovers to ruin C.J. Stroud’s afternoon For all the deserved acclaim around Jackson’s evolution, it’s defense that truly sets this Ravens team apart from those of the last few years. Stroud was almost perfect a week earlier against a Cleveland defense that had vied with the Ravens for statistical supremacy throughout the regular season. The Browns rarely disturbed the cocoon around the brilliant rookie, and he threw fearlessly into open patches 15 and 20 yards downfield. The Ravens led the league in sacks and takeaways in the regular season, their answer to the few chunk plays they surrendered. But they knew the Texans were good at keeping Stroud upright and that he in turn protected the ball. So they adopted a strategy of controlled aggression, bothering the rookie quarterback repeatedly without sacrificing coverage discipline. Stroud did sidestep pressure to connect on a few downfield throws in the first half, and he did not short circuit, but he never found the rhythm that came to him so easily against Cleveland. His 57.6% accuracy and 5.3 yards per attempt fell well short of his season averages of 63.9% and 8.2. “The defense was just as good as it could be,” Harbaugh said. “I thought our guys chased him, and I thought we plastered [their receivers] downfield. Our coverage was just outstanding. We covered as long as we needed to so many times.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Christian McCaffrey’s go-ahead TD rallies 49ers to 24-21 playoff win over Packers Baltimore Ravens | No takeaways, no sacks, no problem: Ravens’ steady defense keeps Texans out of red zone in playoff win Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Give Ravens OC Todd Monken a game ball for second-half adjustments vs. Texans | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Isaiah Likely, Mark Andrews’ fill-in, proving more than that with TD vs. Texans Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 34-10 playoff win over Texans | COMMENTARY They did it without their most accomplished cornerback, Marlon Humphrey, who’s nursing a calf injury. “We just made it difficult for the quarterback,” cornerback Brandon Stephens said. “We tried to stay sticky to the receivers on the outside, force him to make contested throws. We were just playing our style of football.” Linebacker Patrick Queen said they “played smart, played according to our rules.” That speaks to what defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has created with players who love him for unlocking new dimensions in their games. The Ravens have guiding principles, but some weeks they shut down opponents with vanilla, some weeks they do it with hot sauce. They operate behind more guises than any other defense in the league. And let’s not forget a boisterous home crowd that contributed to a succession of false starts and delays of game, six combined in all. After a rough first half against the blitz, Todd Monken found answers Jackson had excelled against the blitz all season, completing 63.8% of his passes and averaging 8.3 yards per attempt with eight touchdowns. But the Texans, who had blitzed on just 21% of dropbacks during the regular season, seemed to catch the Ravens off guard by sending extra rushers on 72.2% of Jackson’s dropbacks in the first half. He handled the pressure well on a touchdown drive to start the second quarter, but Houston sent the Ravens off the field three-and-out on their next three drives, slamming Jackson to the ground twice on the last of those. The Ravens said they had drilled relentlessly in anticipation of Houston’s aggression, which also entailed delayed blitzes and other trickery. “No, I wasn’t surprised,” Jackson said. “They were having success in the first half with blitzing us, soft blitz and zero. They were doing their thing, but we watched a lot of film. We were prepared; we just made little mistakes protecting the blitz and getting the ball out on time.” An adjustment was required, and the Ravens made it, hitting Houston with faster-developing routes so Jackson could fire before blitzing defenders reached him. They needed just six plays to go 55 yards for a touchdown to start the second half. “I think we just did a better job getting the ball out on time,” Harbaugh said. “I think Todd called a different game. It wasn’t so much hold the ball and try to push the ball downfield. Once Lamar was able to sit back there and just pick [the defense] apart and get the ball out quick, he did a great job with that and then took control of the game.” Stanley said the offensive line took a hard look in the mirror at halftime. “I think it was just communication and being on the same page, making sure guys knew their keys and who they had, who we were reading,” he said. The Texans had three sacks at halftime and remained stuck on that number for the remainder of the game, while the Ravens jumped their offensive efficiency from 3.8 yards per play in the first half to 6.5 in the second. They adjusted. Next weekend will be tougher During a recent conversation about what sets this team apart, Harbaugh noted that he almost never has to steer it back on course. He finds the players are already thinking his words before he says them. They celebrated Saturday’s victory with a locker room funk party soundtracked by The Gap Band, but by the time they talked to reporters, they were already intent on the business ahead, namely the first AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium next Sunday at 3 p.m. Super Bowl? Shut off that noise until it’s the next game. “No,” Jackson said when asked if he can almost feel the Lombardi Trophy. “Because we have to finish. It’s still [the] playoffs. We’re not in the dance yet, so I’m looking forward to next week, to be honest with you. I’m not even thinking about the Super Bowl until we handle business.” That business will be sterner than the challenge offered by the Texans, no matter who wins in Buffalo on Sunday evening. If it’s the Kansas City Chiefs, well, they’re the reigning kings of the league. Tyreek Hill is in Miami and Travis Kelce ain’t what he was three years ago, but Patrick Mahomes remains the alpha quarterback, the guy who conjures third-down scrambles against impossible odds and makes journeymen receivers into champions. If it’s the Bills, that means Josh Allen outdueled Mahomes and he’s in the same spot as his draft classmate, Jackson, looking for a Super Bowl trip to take his sublime career to another plateau. These are battle-tested opponents who will fully expect to upset the Ravens, who would not have it any other way. “This was one step in getting there, but we knew there’s another step past that,” Stanley said after Saturday’s win. “We’re happy to get past this first step, very proud of accomplishing what we did today, but we know that we’re going to have to continue to get better to get what we really want.” AFC championship game Bills/Chiefs at Ravens Next Sunday, 3 p.m. TV: CBS Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson wearing a "Top 10" gold chain as he walks to the locker room. after beating the Texans 34-10 in Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson wearing a "Top 10" gold chain as he walks to the locker room. after beating the Texans 34-10 in Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Ronnie Stanley, left, and Lamar Jackson celebrate after Jackson ran in for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Ronnie Stanley, behind, and Lamar Jackson celebrate after Jackson ran in for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, left celebrates with tight end Isaiah Likely following the touchdown reception against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship.(Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson beats Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins to the end zone during the fourth quarter Saturday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens' Lamar Jackson runs for a 4th quarter touchdown to give the Ravens a 30-10 lead. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens' Lamar Jackson runs for a 4th quarter touchdown to give the Ravens a 30-10 lead. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Isaiah Likely catches a touchdown as Houston Texans' Derek Stingley Jr. attempts to defend against the play in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Isaiah Likely catches a touchdown as Houston Texans' Derek Stingley Jr. attempts to defend against the play in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, #80 reaches out after scoring a touchdown in front of Houston Texans cornerback Ka'dar Hollman during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, center stands beetween Houston Texans linebacker Blake Cashman, #53 and cornerback Ka'dar Hollman after a touchdown reception during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens Isaiah Likely hauls in a touchdown pass over Houston Texans Derek Stingley Jr. in the 4th quarter of the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Houston Texans' Jalen Pitre almost intercepts a ball thrown to Baltimore Ravens' Isaiah Likely during the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, #8 celebrates his rushing touchdown against the Houston Texans with wide receiver Zay Flowers during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, #4 and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. react after quarterback Lamar Jackson scored his second rushing touchdown against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, #8 celebrates his rushing touchdown against the Houston Texans with wide receiver Zay Flowers during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship...(Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens running back Dalvin Cook, #31 gains first down yardage to the 25-yard line against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Ravens' #43 Justice Hill is brought down by Texans' #21 Steven Nelson after he made a first down in the 4th quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Jan. 20, 2024: Ravens' Lamar Jackson is congratulated by teammates after his 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ravens' Lamar Jackson runs for a 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Texan's #93 Kurt Hinish sacks Ravens' Lamar Jackson in the second quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Texans' kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn misses a field goal late in the first half. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Houston Texans' Dameon Pierce fumbles while tackled by Baltimore Ravens' Malik Harrison on a kickoff return recovered by Houston late during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson runs for a first down in the third quarter against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' quarterback Lamar Jackson throws the ball in the third quarter against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens' #80 Isaiah Likely uses a stiff-arm to hold off Texans' defender #25 Desmond King II to gain a first down in the third quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson runs the ball against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Texan's #26 Devin Singletary is tackled by Ravens' #14 Kyle Hamilton and #0 Roquan Smith in the second quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ravens' #92 Justin Madubuike tackles Texans' #19 Xavier Hutchinson in the second quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens punter Jordan Stout reacts after the Texans score a punt return for a field goal touchdown during the Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens punter Jordan Stout is dejected after the Texans returned a punt for a touchdown during the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Houston Texans' Steven Sims runs a punt in for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Charlie Kolar catches the ball against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor celebrates a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor, left, and quarterback Lamar Jackson celebrate a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson celebrates with tight end Isaiah Likely, left, after Jackson ran for a touchdown against the Texans on Saturday. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson runs in for a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson runs in for a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback runs for a first down in the second quarter against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens' Lamar Jackson celebrates with teammate #15 Nelson Agholor after he caught a touchdown pass in the second quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ravens Lamar Jackson takes off for a long run in the first quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ka'imi Fairbairn kicks a 50 yard field goal in the first quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ravens' Justin Tucker celebrates with his teammates after kicking a field goal to make the score, 3-0, against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens #24 Jadeveon Clowney tackles Texan's #26 Devin Singletary during first quarter action. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ravens fans react to Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker's first quarter field goal against the Houston Texans. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Ravens defeated the Texans 34-10 in Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens' Justin Tucker kicks a field goal to make the score, 3-0,, against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker kicks a field goal in the first quarter as the Ravens host the Houston Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker kicks a field goal in the first quarter as the Ravens host the Houston Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson breaks from the pocket for a gain against the Houston Texans in the first quarter. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Ravens' Lamar Jackson runs for a first down against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throws in the first quarter. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Ravens defensive tackle Travis Jones pressures Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in the first quarter Saturday. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Houston Texans' Devin Singletary is tackled for loss by Baltimore Ravens' Justin Madubuike in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson heads out to practice for the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Fans react before the Divisional Round of the playoffs game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Morgan Moses is on the field before a playoff game against the Houston Texans.(Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Tyler Ott uses a heater to warm up the equipment before a playoff game against the Houston Texans. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Wayne Reese known as Uncle Grandpa dances outside of the stadium before the Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff photo) Ken Mioduski of Bel Air, also known as Purple Haze, enjoys the pregame tailgate before the Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff photo) Mark Acton wheels a Ravens MVP sculpture he created through the streets outside of M&T Bank Stadium. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game. (Lloyd Fox/Staff photo) Chris Mills, of Toronto, and wife Chantel Mills, both Odell Beckham Jr. fans, attend their first Ravens game ever and it is the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Governor Wes Moore arrives at M&T Bank Stadium for Baltimore Ravens playoff game against the Houston Texans. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Clarence Thomas known as the Hip-hop Raven enjoys pregame festivities before the Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens game. NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff photo) Former Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning watches the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans warm up during the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Adalius Thomas, left and Carmelo Anthony talk as the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans practice during the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Comedian Stavros Halkias is on the field before the Divisional Round of the playoffs between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens Roquan Smith pumps up the team prior to the divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens Roquan Smith takes the field as the Ravens prepare to host the Houston Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Justin Madubuike takes the field as the Ravens prepare to host the Houston Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Maryland National Guard A10s fly over prior to the start of the divisional playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Show Caption of Expand View the full article

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Christian McCaffrey scored his second touchdown on a 6-yard run with 1:07 to play, and the San Francisco 49ers mounted their first second-half comeback of the season to beat the Green Bay Packers 24-21 in a divisional-round playoff game on Saturday night. After spending all regular season as front-runners, the Niners (13-5) needed to come from behind for a change, and Brock Purdy and McCaffrey did just enough on the last drive to send San Francisco to its third straight NFC championship game. The Niners will host the winner of Sunday’s game between Tampa Bay and Detroit next weekend for a spot in the Super Bowl. Purdy went 6 for 7 for 47 yards on the decisive drive, converting a third down with a 10-yard pass to Brandon Aiyuk and throwing a 17-yarder to Chris Conley. “Obviously it’s four quarters for a reason, you know? So the way I started, it’s like, ‘Man, I’ve got to be better, got to play efficient football,’” Purdy said. “But when it comes down to it, with the season on the line, you’ve got to make it happen for your boys around you.” McCaffrey finished it off with his run on third-and-short and the 49ers’ defense held on from there, with Dre Greenlaw intercepting Jordan Love for the second time to seal San Francisco’s fifth straight playoff win over Green Bay (10-9). That last throw across his body was one of the few mistakes by Love, who had given the Packers the lead with two TD passes in the third quarter. But his first full season as the starter in place of Aaron Rodgers had a disappointing ending. Purdy — who struggled with his accuracy early on a rainy night — threw for 252 yards and a touchdown, and McCaffrey rushed for 98 yards on 17 carries. “I mean, yeah, the weather. But that’s football, man. You’ve got to overcome that,” Purdy said. Love put the Niners in the unusual spot of playing from behind. Green Bay converted a third-and-15 when Ambry Thomas was called for a 41-yard pass interference penalty against Bo Melton. Love and Melton connected on the next play for a wide-open 19-yard touchdown aided by Tashaun Gipson slipping on the wet grass in coverage. After McCaffrey put San Francisco back in the lead with a 39-yard TD run, Green Bay struck quickly thanks to a 73-yard kick return by All-Pro Keisean Nixon that he fumbled, only to have teammate Eric Wilson recover. Four plays later, Love threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Kraft and the Packers extended the lead to 21-14 on a 2-point conversion pass to Aaron Jones. The Niners were the first team to make the playoffs in 13 seasons without overcoming a second-half deficit to win a game. They got a 52-yard field goal from Jake Moody on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it a four-point game, and it stayed there when rookie Anders Carlson missed a 41-yarder for Green Bay. The Packers moved the ball easily in the first half, getting into the red zone on three straight drives to open the game. But they couldn’t finishing any of them off, setting for two field goals and getting stopped on a fourth-and-1 sneak. They became the first team in 20 years to reach the red zone on their first three drives of a playoff game without getting a TD. The Niners made them pay for that with Purdy hitting George Kittle on a 32-yard pass on the run for a TD that gave San Francisco the lead. But San Francisco squandered another chance late in the half when coach Kyle Shanahan wasted time before settling for a 48-yard field goal attempt by Moody that was blocked by Colby Wooden to send the Niners into the half with a 7-6 lead. Jones finished with 108 yards on 18 carries for the Packers, and Love was 21 of 34 for 194 yards. Injuries Packers: RT Zach Tom left in the third quarter to get checked for a head injury and didn’t return. 49ers: WR Deebo Samuel injured his shoulder on the opening drive and missed most of the game. View the full article

Dressed in a jean vest, a cowboy hat and his usual swagger, Roquan Smith considered the game he’d just been a part of — the one in which the Ravens’ defense refused to let the upstart Houston Texans ever sniff a rhythm, ever see the red zone, ever feel comfortable on offense. The Ravens became the first NFL team to lead the league in points allowed, takeaways and sacks during a regular season and they turned in another masterful effort Saturday with a 34-10 playoff victory at M&T Bank Stadium. Part of their identity has been intensity and after the game, played in 20-degree weather and amid 25 mph gusts, Smith issued another one of his unabashed quips. “I don’t care who it is. It could be my little cousins, it could be grandparents, or whatever,” said Smith, the defense’s de facto spokesperson. “You roll that ball out there, they gotta get dealt with [if] they come into ‘The Bank,’ by any means necessary.” With beloved Baltimore legends present — such as Cal Ripken Jr. and Carmelo Anthony — the Ravens did what they’ve done all season and, really for most of the franchise’s existence: play ferocious, fearless defense. After scoring early in the second quarter, the Ravens’ offense limped into halftime and their special teams allowed the game’s biggest play — a 67-yard punt return in the second quarter by Houston’s Steven Sims, his first touchdown in three years. At halftime, the Ravens, the AFC’s top seed, and the Texans were tied. Baltimore’s faithful, wearing beanies and coats and clutching onto hand-warmers and cold memories from the 2019 season’s disappointing denouement, fretted. But there would be no nightmare. The Ravens’ defense made sure of it. Things were “edgy,” at halftime, coach John Harbaugh said, and Lamar Jackson gave a colorful speech — which included words players weren’t eager to repeat — to ignite the team. In the second half, the offense improved, scoring three touchdowns. And the defense simply continued its dominance, like a methodic drumbeat. The Texans’ offense, which hung 45 points in a playoff game last week against the Cleveland Browns, never marched into the red zone and mustered just three points against Baltimore’s defense (excluding the special teams score). “We’re not the Browns. We’re the Baltimore Ravens at the end of the day,” said Smith, who has been a Raven for only 15 months but speaks as if he’s been one his entire life. Ravens outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney tackles Texans running back Devin Singletary in the first quarter Saturday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) With Smith and his stalwart sidekick Patrick Queen anchoring the defense, the Ravens allowed just 38 rushing yards and 175 through the air. Said Texans running back Devin Singletary, who managed 22 yards on the ground: “They were eating us up. They just had our number today.” Despite unwelcoming weather, Baltimore got a boost from the fiery home crowd (“I don’t know what they be on, liquid courage or what,” Smith noted.) Although Houston coach DeMeco Ryans said it had “nothing to do with the crowd,” the Texans had six false starts or delay-of-game penalties, pushing them backward on the rare occasions they put together a big gain. “[The Ravens] are a really good unit,” Ryans said. “I think they’ve been No. 1 throughout the entire season for a reason, starting with their personnel.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Five things we learned from the Ravens’ 34-10 playoff over the Houston Texans Baltimore Ravens | Christian McCaffrey’s go-ahead TD rallies 49ers to 24-21 playoff win over Packers Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Give Ravens OC Todd Monken a game ball for second-half adjustments vs. Texans | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Isaiah Likely, Mark Andrews’ fill-in, proving more than that with TD vs. Texans Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 34-10 playoff win over Texans | COMMENTARY Saturday was different, though. The Ravens registered no sacks and no takeaways — despite some close calls, like a near-interception by Kyle Hamilton in the first half — but still managed to push the Texans’ offense off the field. Absent big plays, they simply forced punts or field goal tries. In the third quarter and the game still very much in question, the Texans tried a flea-flicker-esque trick play, with the ball changing hands four times in seven seconds. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud eventually passed to wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson, who had blockers and plenty of room to run, if he could just get past Geno Stone. But Stone, who’d missed a key tackle earlier, clung to Hutchinson’s right foot, stalling him until Smith arrived to barrel him over. Said Stroud: “They made a play.” The Texans had racked up chunk yardage against other teams, Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens said, but “we knew they didn’t have a chance if we eliminated big plays, and we did that today.” Late in the game on a fourth-and-6 look — the Texans’ last gasp — Ravens cornerback Arthur Maulet came around the end to hit Stroud, forcing a high throw and a game-sealing incompletion. As the ball bounced away, Smith celebrated with a wave to the crowd. The Ravens had again put together a solid, sensational, yet steady performance, propelling them to the AFC championship game in Baltimore next week. “I’d put this eleven, whoever is out on the field with us, versus anyone in the league,” Smith said of the Ravens defense. “Anyone in the world at that.” Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson wearing a "Top 10" gold chain as he walks to the locker room. after beating the Texans 34-10 in Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson wearing a "Top 10" gold chain as he walks to the locker room. after beating the Texans 34-10 in Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Ronnie Stanley, left, and Lamar Jackson celebrate after Jackson ran in for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Ronnie Stanley, behind, and Lamar Jackson celebrate after Jackson ran in for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, left celebrates with tight end Isaiah Likely following the touchdown reception against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship.(Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson beats Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins to the end zone during the fourth quarter Saturday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens' Lamar Jackson runs for a 4th quarter touchdown to give the Ravens a 30-10 lead. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens' Lamar Jackson runs for a 4th quarter touchdown to give the Ravens a 30-10 lead. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Isaiah Likely catches a touchdown as Houston Texans' Derek Stingley Jr. attempts to defend against the play in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Isaiah Likely catches a touchdown as Houston Texans' Derek Stingley Jr. attempts to defend against the play in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, #80 reaches out after scoring a touchdown in front of Houston Texans cornerback Ka'dar Hollman during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, center stands beetween Houston Texans linebacker Blake Cashman, #53 and cornerback Ka'dar Hollman after a touchdown reception during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens Isaiah Likely hauls in a touchdown pass over Houston Texans Derek Stingley Jr. in the 4th quarter of the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Houston Texans' Jalen Pitre almost intercepts a ball thrown to Baltimore Ravens' Isaiah Likely during the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, #8 celebrates his rushing touchdown against the Houston Texans with wide receiver Zay Flowers during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, #4 and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. react after quarterback Lamar Jackson scored his second rushing touchdown against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, #8 celebrates his rushing touchdown against the Houston Texans with wide receiver Zay Flowers during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship...(Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens running back Dalvin Cook, #31 gains first down yardage to the 25-yard line against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Ravens' #43 Justice Hill is brought down by Texans' #21 Steven Nelson after he made a first down in the 4th quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Jan. 20, 2024: Ravens' Lamar Jackson is congratulated by teammates after his 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ravens' Lamar Jackson runs for a 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Texan's #93 Kurt Hinish sacks Ravens' Lamar Jackson in the second quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Texans' kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn misses a field goal late in the first half. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Houston Texans' Dameon Pierce fumbles while tackled by Baltimore Ravens' Malik Harrison on a kickoff return recovered by Houston late during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson runs for a first down in the third quarter against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' quarterback Lamar Jackson throws the ball in the third quarter against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens' #80 Isaiah Likely uses a stiff-arm to hold off Texans' defender #25 Desmond King II to gain a first down in the third quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson runs the ball against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Texan's #26 Devin Singletary is tackled by Ravens' #14 Kyle Hamilton and #0 Roquan Smith in the second quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ravens' #92 Justin Madubuike tackles Texans' #19 Xavier Hutchinson in the second quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens punter Jordan Stout reacts after the Texans score a punt return for a field goal touchdown during the Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens punter Jordan Stout is dejected after the Texans returned a punt for a touchdown during the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Houston Texans' Steven Sims runs a punt in for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Charlie Kolar catches the ball against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor celebrates a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor, left, and quarterback Lamar Jackson celebrate a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson celebrates with tight end Isaiah Likely, left, after Jackson ran for a touchdown against the Texans on Saturday. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson runs in for a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson runs in for a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback runs for a first down in the second quarter against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens' Lamar Jackson celebrates with teammate #15 Nelson Agholor after he caught a touchdown pass in the second quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ravens Lamar Jackson takes off for a long run in the first quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ka'imi Fairbairn kicks a 50 yard field goal in the first quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ravens' Justin Tucker celebrates with his teammates after kicking a field goal to make the score, 3-0, against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney tackles Texans running back Devin Singletary in the first quarter Saturday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens fans react to Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker's first quarter field goal against the Houston Texans. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Ravens defeated the Texans 34-10 in Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens' Justin Tucker kicks a field goal to make the score, 3-0,, against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker kicks a field goal in the first quarter as the Ravens host the Houston Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker kicks a field goal in the first quarter as the Ravens host the Houston Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson breaks from the pocket for a gain against the Houston Texans in the first quarter. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Ravens' Lamar Jackson runs for a first down against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throws in the first quarter. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Travis Jones pressures Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in the first quarter as the Ravens host the Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Houston Texans' Devin Singletary is tackled for loss by Baltimore Ravens' Justin Madubuike in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson heads out to practice for the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Fans react before the Divisional Round of the playoffs game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Morgan Moses is on the field before a playoff game against the Houston Texans.(Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Tyler Ott uses a heater to warm up the equipment before a playoff game against the Houston Texans. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Wayne Reese known as Uncle Grandpa dances outside of the stadium before the Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff photo) Ken Mioduski of Bel Air, also known as Purple Haze, enjoys the pregame tailgate before the Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff photo) Mark Acton wheels a Ravens MVP sculpture he created through the streets outside of M&T Bank Stadium. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game. (Lloyd Fox/Staff photo) Chris Mills, of Toronto, and wife Chantel Mills, both Odell Beckham Jr. fans, attend their first Ravens game ever and it is the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Governor Wes Moore arrives at M&T Bank Stadium for Baltimore Ravens playoff game against the Houston Texans. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Clarence Thomas known as the Hip-hop Raven enjoys pregame festivities before the Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens game. NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff photo) Former Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning watches the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans warm up during the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Adalius Thomas, left and Carmelo Anthony talk as the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans practice during the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Comedian Stavros Halkias is on the field before the Divisional Round of the playoffs between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens Roquan Smith pumps up the team prior to the divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens Roquan Smith takes the field as the Ravens prepare to host the Houston Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Justin Madubuike takes the field as the Ravens prepare to host the Houston Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Maryland National Guard A10s fly over prior to the start of the divisional playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Show Caption of Expand View the full article

The Ravens should have given offensive coordinator Todd Monken a game ball Saturday night. After the Ravens’ 34-10 win over the Houston Texans in the AFC divisional round before an announced 71,018 at M&T Bank Stadium, there was plenty of talk about quarterback Lamar Jackson’s contribution to four of the team’s touchdowns and an outstanding defensive effort throughout the game, but it was Monken who guided the team to 24 second-half points. He has been the Ravens’ secret weapon all year in furthering Jackson’s development and putting some pop into the passing game, but on Saturday night he was dialing up plays that led to Houston’s defensive demise in the final two quarters. The Ravens had only 118 yards of total offense in the first half but finished with 352. They had 95 rushing yards, 50 of those by Jackson, and only 52 passing yards in the first two quarters. They finished with 229 yards on the ground and 123 through the air. The difference was Monken. Now, it’s understandable why he is a head coaching prospect at age 57, even when most team owners are looking at other candidates 15 to 25 years younger. Monken has already had virtual visits with at least the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Chargers. “Offensively, we talked about completions and about our profit game,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said about the halftime plan. “Let’s get the thing going [and] not try and push the ball downfield quite as much. I think it also helped open up the run game. Lamar did a great job. A lot of that was his thinking as well. He was all over it — what we felt we needed to do in the second half. “[It was a] collaborative effort, for sure. Todd deserves a lot of credit. I thought he called a great game, especially in the second half.” The Ravens struggled offensively in the first half but still managed to enter halftime tied at 10. Jackson was blitzed on 13 of 18 dropbacks, pressured 10 times and sacked three times. Neither Jackson nor his offensive line had an answer for the Texans’ blitzes, which came from outside linebackers or safeties and were delayed at times. But then came halftime. Jackson delivered a profanity-laced speech, and Monken devised another game plan. “It would be inappropriate if I said it right here,” Jackson said, drawing laughter. “But, we weren’t really doing anything to their defense — they were playing great. That offense was playing great as well, but we weren’t doing our job with our unit. In the second half, [we] started putting points on the board, started moving the ball, moving the chains and started looking at ourselves.” Both Jackson and Monken need to take some blame for the lackadaisical first half. They had no answers for the Texans’ blitzes, even though they had seen them multiple times throughout the season. But there were definitive answers on the Ravens’ first offensive possession of the second half. On the first snap, Jackson threw a pass to wideout Nelson Agholor for a 9-yard gain and then went to tight end Isaiah Likely for a 19-yard reception over the middle. Quick passes were going to work, not the deep passes the Ravens were hoping to hit on. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Five things we learned from the Ravens’ 34-10 playoff over the Houston Texans Baltimore Ravens | Christian McCaffrey’s go-ahead TD rallies 49ers to 24-21 playoff win over Packers Baltimore Ravens | No takeaways, no sacks, no problem: Ravens’ steady defense keeps Texans out of red zone in playoff win Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Isaiah Likely, Mark Andrews’ fill-in, proving more than that with TD vs. Texans Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 34-10 playoff win over Texans | COMMENTARY On second-and-10 from the Texans’ 15-yard line, Jackson ran a devised draw behind running back Gus Edwards, who put a picture-perfect block on middle linebacker Blake Cashman as the Ravens went ahead, 17-10, early in the third quarter. The Ravens put together another scoring drive on their next possession, this one 93 yards on 12 plays capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Likely. It was a similar play the Ravens used last season in a win over the New Orleans Saints. But before Monken reached into his bag of tricks, he had the Texans off guard. They couldn’t stop the deep passes over the middle to a receiver like Rashod Bateman or short passes into the flat to rookie Zay Flowers or running back Justice Hill. After taking a 24-10 lead on the touchdown pass to Likely, the Ravens went to the running game behind Edwards, Hill and recently signed Dalvin Cook. They ran counter plays, tosses and straight dives up the middle and the exhausted Texans couldn’t stop them. Of course, this was all caused by Jackson, who rushed 11 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns while completing 16 of 22 passes for 152 yards and two scores. And, of course, it was directed by Monken. “It means a lot for your [offensive coordinator] to trust in you to be out there and putting our team in a great situation,” Jackson said of Monken. “That’s all I need, and we’re going to go from there.” The Ravens hired Monken in February to replace Greg Roman as the offensive coordinator. On the first day he met the media, Monken said he wanted to attack the entire field. He has done that with a running game that doesn’t have a featured halfback and a passing game that is effective, but not dominant. It’s called balance. The Ravens have it. Monken seems to add new wrinkles weekly, such as the tight end delay over the middle to Likely or a similar play to fullback Patrick Ricard. They also have a quarterback who is more accurate and more of a leader this year, while Monken helped lead Georgia to two straight national titles before arriving in Baltimore. It’s an offense that is inconsistent at times, but the Ravens always seem to get in sync. “I think we just did a better job getting the ball out on time,” Harbaugh said. “I think Todd called a different game. It wasn’t so much hold the ball and try to push the ball downfield, which Lamar did a good job. Once Lamar was able to sit back there [in the pocket] and just pick [the defense] apart and get the ball out quick, he just did a great job with that and then took control of the game.” Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson wearing a "Top 10" gold chain as he walks to the locker room. after beating the Texans 34-10 in Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson wearing a "Top 10" gold chain as he walks to the locker room. after beating the Texans 34-10 in Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Ronnie Stanley, left, and Lamar Jackson celebrate after Jackson ran in for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Ronnie Stanley, behind, and Lamar Jackson celebrate after Jackson ran in for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, left celebrates with tight end Isaiah Likely following the touchdown reception against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship.(Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson beats Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins to the end zone during the fourth quarter Saturday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens' Lamar Jackson runs for a 4th quarter touchdown to give the Ravens a 30-10 lead. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens' Lamar Jackson runs for a 4th quarter touchdown to give the Ravens a 30-10 lead. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Isaiah Likely catches a touchdown as Houston Texans' Derek Stingley Jr. attempts to defend against the play in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Isaiah Likely catches a touchdown as Houston Texans' Derek Stingley Jr. attempts to defend against the play in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, #80 reaches out after scoring a touchdown in front of Houston Texans cornerback Ka'dar Hollman during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, center stands beetween Houston Texans linebacker Blake Cashman, #53 and cornerback Ka'dar Hollman after a touchdown reception during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens Isaiah Likely hauls in a touchdown pass over Houston Texans Derek Stingley Jr. in the 4th quarter of the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Houston Texans' Jalen Pitre almost intercepts a ball thrown to Baltimore Ravens' Isaiah Likely during the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, #8 celebrates his rushing touchdown against the Houston Texans with wide receiver Zay Flowers during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, #4 and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. react after quarterback Lamar Jackson scored his second rushing touchdown against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, #8 celebrates his rushing touchdown against the Houston Texans with wide receiver Zay Flowers during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship...(Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens running back Dalvin Cook, #31 gains first down yardage to the 25-yard line against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Ravens' #43 Justice Hill is brought down by Texans' #21 Steven Nelson after he made a first down in the 4th quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Jan. 20, 2024: Ravens' Lamar Jackson is congratulated by teammates after his 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ravens' Lamar Jackson runs for a 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Texan's #93 Kurt Hinish sacks Ravens' Lamar Jackson in the second quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Texans' kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn misses a field goal late in the first half. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Houston Texans' Dameon Pierce fumbles while tackled by Baltimore Ravens' Malik Harrison on a kickoff return recovered by Houston late during the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. The Ravens defeated Houston 34-10, to advance to the AFC championship. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson runs for a first down in the third quarter against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' quarterback Lamar Jackson throws the ball in the third quarter against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens' #80 Isaiah Likely uses a stiff-arm to hold off Texans' defender #25 Desmond King II to gain a first down in the third quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson runs the ball against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Texan's #26 Devin Singletary is tackled by Ravens' #14 Kyle Hamilton and #0 Roquan Smith in the second quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ravens' #92 Justin Madubuike tackles Texans' #19 Xavier Hutchinson in the second quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens punter Jordan Stout reacts after the Texans score a punt return for a field goal touchdown during the Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens punter Jordan Stout is dejected after the Texans returned a punt for a touchdown during the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Houston Texans' Steven Sims runs a punt in for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Charlie Kolar catches the ball against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor celebrates a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor, left, and quarterback Lamar Jackson celebrate a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson celebrates with tight end Isaiah Likely, left, after Jackson ran for a touchdown against the Texans on Saturday. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson runs in for a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson runs in for a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback runs for a first down in the second quarter against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens' Lamar Jackson celebrates with teammate #15 Nelson Agholor after he caught a touchdown pass in the second quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ravens Lamar Jackson takes off for a long run in the first quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ka'imi Fairbairn kicks a 50 yard field goal in the first quarter. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ravens' Justin Tucker celebrates with his teammates after kicking a field goal to make the score, 3-0, against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens #24 Jadeveon Clowney tackles Texan's #26 Devin Singletary during first quarter action. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Ravens fans react to Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker's first quarter field goal against the Houston Texans. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Ravens defeated the Texans 34-10 in Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Ravens' Justin Tucker kicks a field goal to make the score, 3-0,, against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker kicks a field goal in the first quarter as the Ravens host the Houston Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker kicks a field goal in the first quarter as the Ravens host the Houston Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson breaks from the pocket for a gain against the Houston Texans in the first quarter. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Ravens' Lamar Jackson runs for a first down against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throws in the first quarter. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Travis Jones pressures Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in the first quarter as the Ravens host the Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Houston Texans' Devin Singletary is tackled for loss by Baltimore Ravens' Justin Madubuike in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson heads out to practice for the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Fans react before the Divisional Round of the playoffs game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Morgan Moses is on the field before a playoff game against the Houston Texans.(Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Tyler Ott uses a heater to warm up the equipment before a playoff game against the Houston Texans. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff photo) Wayne Reese known as Uncle Grandpa dances outside of the stadium before the Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff photo) Ken Mioduski of Bel Air, also known as Purple Haze, enjoys the pregame tailgate before the Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff photo) Mark Acton wheels a Ravens MVP sculpture he created through the streets outside of M&T Bank Stadium. Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens in NFL Divisional Round playoff game. (Lloyd Fox/Staff photo) Chris Mills, of Toronto, and wife Chantel Mills, both Odell Beckham Jr. fans, attend their first Ravens game ever and it is the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Governor Wes Moore arrives at M&T Bank Stadium for Baltimore Ravens playoff game against the Houston Texans. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Clarence Thomas known as the Hip-hop Raven enjoys pregame festivities before the Houston Texans vs. the Baltimore Ravens game. NFL Divisional Round playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Lloyd Fox/Staff photo) Former Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning watches the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans warm up during the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Adalius Thomas, left and Carmelo Anthony talk as the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans practice during the Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Comedian Stavros Halkias is on the field before the Divisional Round of the playoffs between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens Roquan Smith pumps up the team prior to the divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens Roquan Smith takes the field as the Ravens prepare to host the Houston Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens' Justin Madubuike takes the field as the Ravens prepare to host the Houston Texans in the divisional playoff at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Maryland National Guard A10s fly over prior to the start of the divisional playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans. (Jerry Jackson/Staff photo) Show Caption of Expand View the full article