The quarterback is under no illusions about their quality
Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes has warned his team-mates they need to produce their best performance if they are to beat the Baltimore Ravens.
The Chiefs edged past the Buffalo Bills 27-24 to demonstrate why they are Super Bowl champions, turning up their performance a notch despite a mixed regular season campaign.
Mahomes, in particular, raised his level with 215 passing yards and two touchdowns for Travis Kelce, who also ended an eight-game run without a TD.
And the quarterback made it clear that the Chiefs need to dig deep to find their best level in order to win the AFC Championship game and put them on course for a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance.
“There’s no weakness there. It’s going to take our best effort,” Mahomes said on the NFL official website.
“Defense, offense, special teams, they do it all. It’s always a great challenge, and that stadium is going to be rocking, so we’re excited for the challenge.”
Chiefs must have plan for Lamar Jackson
If the Chiefs do not manage to devise a plan to counteract the threat from Lamar Jackson, it could be a long night for Andy Reid’s men. As seen in their 34-10 thrashing of the Houston Texans, Jackson was unstoppable as the quarterback scored his first playoff victory at the age of 27.
With the score deadlocked at 10-10 at halftime, Jackson summoned his strength to inspire his team to 24 answered points and he finished with four touchdowns – two which came from rushing.
It goes to show that the Chiefs have more to worry about than the accuracy of his throwing arm, given Jackson’s tendency to mix it up and rush for yards.
In eight of their last 11 fixtures, the Ravens have scored 30 points or more, which only further proves how devastating their offense can be. Jackson himself ended up with five touchdowns in the 56-19 drubbing of the Miami Dolphins on New Year’s Eve – and the Chiefs would do well to heed Mahomes‘ warning.