3 Ravens to blame for AFC Championship Game loss

Stop me if you've heard this one before: the Kansas City Chiefs are going to the Super Bowl, and the Baltimore Ravens have come up short in the playoffs.

Though the Ravens were playing at home and favored by 4.5 points, it can't come as a surprise that Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs found a way to do what they've now done four out of the last five years. In a bit of a twist, though, it was the Chiefs' defense that won the day, holding Lamar Jackson, the presumed MVP, to just 10 points while capitalizing on a litany of Ravens mistakes.

The Ravens defense allowed touchdowns on the Chiefs' first two possessions, but after that, they were heroic, limiting Travis Kelce to just one catch and Mahomes to just 80 yards passing in the second half, 32 of which came on the final throw to Marquez Valdes-Scantling that sealed the win.

There's no questioning the greatness of Mahomes and Andy Reid, but Baltimore has to feel like they let this game slip away. Who is most to blame for the Ravens coming up short?

1) Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken

Baltimore's bread and butter this year has been its running game. The Ravens ranked No. 1 in the NFL in total rushing yards, and while much of that can be attributed to the electric running ability of Lamar Jackson, the combination of Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, and a formidable offensive line allowed the Ravens to run the ball on pretty much any team they faced this year.

While much of the hype leading up to the game understandably centered on the battle between Mahomes and Jackson, Baltimore's biggest advantage was its running game against Kansas City's rushing defense, which ranked 28th in the league.

Why, then, did Baltimore all but abandon the run? Gus Edwards took his first carry in the first quarter for 15 yards, then only got two more carries the entire rest of the game. Justice Hill only had three, as well. The Ravens played right into the Chiefs' hands, and Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo feasted, sending pressure time and time again since he had no reason to fear the run.

The Ravens have had a love/hate relationship with their offensive coordinators ever since Lamar Jackson entered the league in 2018. First was Marty Mornhinweg, who was let go after Lamar's rookie season. Greg Roman then got the job, and though his run-heavy offense helped the Ravens QB win an MVP award, it didn't lead to postseason success.

Todd Monken came to Baltimore after winning back-to-back national championships as the offensive coordinator of the Georgia Bulldogs, and he's been praised all year for helping make the Ravens offense more balanced. In the AFC Championship Game, though, he didn't rise to meet the moment, and he played right into the Chiefs' hands.

2) Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers

The Ravens went out and got Lamar Jackson a playmaker in the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting Boston College wideout Zay Flowers with the 22nd overall pick. The rookie has flashed star ability in catching 77 balls for 858 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season, and his speed and quickness have drawn comparisons to Tyreek Hill.

Flowers is going to have a long and productive career, but Sunday was not his best day. His stat line wasn't the problem: five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown are numbers anyone would be envious of on the doorstep of the Super Bowl. Mental mistakes, though, cost the young wide receiver and his team a chance at playing in football's most prestigious game.

The problems began after the Ravens' biggest play of the day. Flowers beat L'Jarius Sneed for a 54-yard gain near the end of the third quarter but taunted the Chiefs' top cornerback to cost his team 15 yards. It looked like Flowers was going to make up for that bit of immaturity, though, as he caught a 14-yarder two plays later to get back to the 11-yard line.

It was a case of one step forward, two steps back for Flowers, and all his good work was soon undone. After catching yet another pass, this time on a drag route at the seven, Flowers used his speed to turn upfield and dive for the end zone, but Sneed was there to get his revenge, punching the ball out just before Flowers crossed the plane. The Chiefs recovered in the end zone to retain their 10-point lead, and the Ravens never got an opportunity that good again.

Flowers took his frustrations out on the sideline after the play, punching the bench and cutting his hand open, adding injury to insult.

To his credit, Ravens coach John Harbaugh defended his young star on the critical fumble, saying "We coach two hands on the football when you reach for the end zone. He had two hands on the football." Fair enough, but maybe that's why you don't taunt L'Jarius Sneed.

This move won't define Flowers' career, and the Ravens will more than likely have many more bites at the apple. Still, this one is going to hurt for a long time.

3) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson

It feels a bit dirty to call Lamar out when we've already pinned blame on Todd Monken for a nonsensical game plan, but there's no getting around the fact that Lamar had chances to help his team and didn't come through in the game's biggest moments.

A first-half strip sack was more the fault of left tackle Ronnie Stanley, but the sack Lamar took late in the third quarter knocked Baltimore out of field goal range, preventing Justin Tucker from having a chance to cut it to a one-possession game.

No mistake was as costly, though, as the ill-advised interception that Lamar threw with the game still in doubt midway through the fourth quarter. Again, the Ravens were already in field goal range, but on first down from the 25, he forced a throw into triple coverage to Isaiah Likely.

The stats will show that Lamar played alright, but there were a lot of empty yards in there after the Chiefs had already built a double-digit lead. Lamar ended the day with 272 yards through the air, 54 on the ground, and 13 on one of the coolest catches you'll ever see. In the first half, it was a different story, as he managed only 67 yards on 5-12 passing.

There were sailed passes, inaccurate short throws, and missed opportunities all day. The story of the game was big mistakes, though. The Ravens made them, the Chiefs didn't, and now Baltimore's season is at an end.