The Baltimore Ravens had to sit at home and watch as the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl last night, but that doesn't mean they weren't still on the minds of the champs.
Following the Chiefs win, five-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones credited beating the Ravens as one of the reasons why the team was so confident that it could win the Lombardi this season.
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“I think we faced the best team in the league in (the) Baltimore Ravens, hands down,” Jones said after being asked about the team's championship run. “It’s a tough environment. MVP Lamar Jackson and that defense, man. We [were] able to overcome them obstacles, we weren’t going to be defeated here.”
Baltimore handily beat the 49ers in a Christmas Day matchup back in December by a score of 33-19 in a game that cemented Jackson's second MVP campaign and entered the playoffs ranked as the No. 1 seed in the AFC and held the best record in the NFL at 13-4.
Unfortunately, the team peaked too early and would lose steam playing against Kansas City, the reigning Super Bowl champions, on its path to a second consecutive championship.
The Ravens defense held up strong against the Chiefs by limiting it to 17 points, but the offense failed to get clicking and scored just 10 points all game, with Jackson taking scrutiny for his performance in the biggest game of his career so far.
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This offseason, Baltimore's front office will have a lot of financial juggling to do in order to keep its stellar roster intact and attempt to advance beyond the AFC Championship game next season.
Before the team can make another Super Bowl run, though, it will have an opportunity to redeem its loss in 2024 when Kansas City returns to M&T Bank Stadium to face the Ravens in the regular season.