The AFC Championship between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs has the potential to be the game of the year in the NFL, and the winner of the showdown will likely be the favorite to win Super Bowl LVIII. Not only does this matchup have two MVP quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, but the Chiefs and Ravens each possess the top-two scoring defenses in the league (the first time in a conference championship game since 2004).
Mahomes and Jackson will get all the attention (and deservingly so), as both quarterbacks will have plenty to prove in the showdown. Jackson is looking to prove he can lead the Ravens to a Super Bowl and establish his legacy while Mahomes is further trying to cement his status as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever by leading the Chiefs to their fourth Super Bowl appearance in five years.
For Mahomes and Jackson to advance to the Super Bowl, these five players will have to play a major role in the Chiefs or Ravens advancing to Las Vegas. These are the five biggest X factors in the AFC Championship (the high-profile names like Mahomes, Jackson, Travis Kelce and Roquan Smith were omitted based on their superstar status).
With not as many offensive weapons as in years past, Pacheco is the one player who can get the offense moving the chains when the pass game isn’t working. Pacheco has 383 career rushing yards in the playoffs, the eighth-most through a player’s first two seasons in NFL history, which included 97 yards and touchdown in the divisional-round win over the Bills.
In 14 regular-season games, Pacheco had 935 rushing yards and seven touchdowns as the Chiefs’ featured back — a role he’s embraced in the postseason. He has 39 carries for 186 yards and two touchdowns (4.8 yards per carry) in two playoff games, as the Chiefs offense has averaged 26.5 points per game against two top-10 defenses (in yards allowed).
For the Chiefs…
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