2023 AFC Championship Game

This article is about the AFC Championship Game for the 2023 NFL season. For the AFC Championship Game played in the calendar year 2023, see 2022 AFC Championship Game.

2023 AFC Championship Game

Kansas City Chiefs (3) (11–6) Baltimore Ravens (1) (13–4) 17 10 Head coach: Andy Reid Head coach: John Harbaugh
1 2 3 4 Total KC 7 10 0 0 17 BAL 7 0 0 3 10
Date	January 28, 2024
Kickoff time	3:05 p.m. EST
Stadium	M&T Bank Stadium Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Favorite	Ravens by 4 [1]
Referee	Shawn Smith
Attendance	71,439
TV in the United States
Network	Broadcast: CBS Streaming: Paramount+
Announcers	Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson, Evan Washburn, and Jay Feely
Nielsen ratings	U.S. TV viewership: 55.5 million [2]
←  2022 AFC Championship Game 2024  →

The 2023 American Football Conference (AFC) Championship Game was a National Football League (NFL) game played on January 28, 2024, to determine the AFC champion for the 2023 NFL season. The game was played at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, featuring theKansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens.

In a largely defensive affair, the Chiefs defeated the Ravens, 17–10, winning their second consecutive conference championship.

Background

Further information: 2023 Kansas City Chiefs season and 2023 Baltimore Ravens season

The Kansas City Chiefs entered the 2023 season as defending Super Bowl champions, winning Super Bowl LVII over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Chiefs posted an 11–6 record in the regular season, winning the AFC West division. In the Wild Card Round, the Chiefs defeated the Miami Dolphins, 26–7. In the Divisional Round, the Chiefs played the Buffalo Bills in the first road postseason game of quarterback Patrick Mahomes' career. The Chiefs won, 27–24, advancing to the AFC Championship Game for the sixth consecutive season.^{[ citation needed ]}

The Baltimore Ravens went 13–4 in the regular season and clinched the top seed in the AFC playoffs, led by an MVP campaign by quarterback Lamar Jackson. In the Divisional Round, the Ravens defeated the Houston Texans, 34–10.^{[ citation needed ]}

This was the first time the Ravens hosted an AFC Championship Game in franchise history. Additionally, this was the first AFC Championship since 2017 not hosted by the Chiefs. ^[3] This is also the sixth straight AFC Championship Game appearance for the Chiefs. ^{[4] [5]}

This was also the second postseason meeting between the Chiefs and Ravens. The first meeting came in the 2010 AFC Wild Card, which the Ravens won 30–7 in Kansas City. The two teams did not meet in the regular season.^{[ citation needed ]}

Game summary

The Chiefs attained a 17–7 lead at halftime off two touchdowns, one from Travis Kelce and one from Isiah Pacheco, as well as a 52-yard field goal from Harrison Butker, as the Ravens only managed one touchdown. At the end of a scoreless third quarter, Lamar Jackson threw a 54-yard pass to Zay Flowers, who was then called for a 15-yard penalty after taunting over L'Jarius Sneed. As the drive carried over into the fourth quarter, Flowers received a pass from Jackson near the end zone, but Sneed forced a fumble for a touchback. The next Ravens drive reached the red zone, but ended in an interception by Deon Bush as Jackson attempted a pass to a triple-covered Isaiah Likely.

Box score

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	10	0	0	17
Ravens	7	0	0	3	10

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

• Date: January 28, 2024
• Game time: 3:05 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 47 °F (8 °C)
• Game attendance: 71,439
• Referee: Shawn Smith
• TV announcers (CBS/Paramount+): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson, Evan Washburn, and Jay Feely
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter KC – Travis Kelce 19-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 7:41. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 86 yards, 5:45. BAL – Zay Flowers 30-yard pass from Lamar Jackson (Justin Tucker kick), 4:58. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:43. Second quarter KC – Isiah Pacheco 2-yard run (Harrison Butker kick), 10:56. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 9:02. KC – Harrison Butker 52-yard field goal, 0:04. Chiefs 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 1:42. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter BAL – Justin Tucker 43-yard field goal, 2:34. Chiefs 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 29 yards, 2:26. Top passers KC – Patrick Mahomes – 30/39, 241 yards, TD BAL – Lamar Jackson – 20/37, 272 yards, TD, INT Top rushers KC – Isiah Pacheco – 24 rushes, 68 yards, TD BAL – Lamar Jackson – 8 rushes, 54 yards Top receivers KC – Travis Kelce – 11 receptions, 116 yards, TD BAL – Zay Flowers – 5 receptions, 115 yards, TD

Aftermath

The Chiefs advanced to Super Bowl LVIII, where they defeated the San Francisco 49ers in overtime, 25–22. The Chiefs became the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowl championships since the New England Patriots did so in 2004.

See also

• 2023 NFC Championship Game
• 2023–24 NFL playoffs

References

1. "AFC Championship - Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens - January 28th, 2024". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
2. Lewis, Jon (January 30, 2024). "Over 55 million for Chiefs-Ravens AFC title game". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
3. Skretta, Dave (January 24, 2024). "As much as the Chiefs love Arrowhead Stadium, they relish playing the spoiler on the road". AP News. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
4. Dixon, John (January 21, 2024). "With Ravens' victory over Texans, 'Arrowhead Invitational' series comes to an end". Arrowhead Pride. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
5. Churchill, Justin (January 20, 2024). "Chiefs' road to Super Bowl just got that much tougher". A to Z Sports. Retrieved January 25, 2024.