ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — With each Ravens turnover, each subject aim pressured as an alternative of surrendering a landing, and each failed two-point conversion that saved the opponents simply out of attain, it marched the Payments nearer and nearer to what they’ve been craving to get again to for years.
In the end, the Payments have returned to the AFC Championship Recreation. Their 27-25 overcome the Ravens exorcised a number of demons in each this season and former ones.
During the last three years, it’s been like a report caught in a loop, repeating the identical a part of the tune that drives everybody listening up the wall. Within the divisional spherical, a super-talented Payments group with a lot promise ultimately yielded the way in which to the ultimate 4 to a different AFC superpower. First, it was the Chiefs. Then it was the Bengals. Then the Chiefs once more. However this 12 months… this 12 months was completely different.
“You study from all the scars,” left sort out Dion Dawkins mentioned. “You by no means need that feeling once more.”
“I feel there’s one thing form of intangible about this group that feels completely different,” tight finish Dawson Knox mentioned. “It’s form of laborious to place your finger on.”
Knox isn’t alone. It’s a sentiment shared all through the locker room, permeating all through the fan base. Some suppose it’s the gamers. Others could level to how head coach Sean McDermott has developed. Nonetheless, that unquantifiable feeling about how the 2024-2025 Payments are completely different, actually, yielded a distinct final result than the previous.
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With all of the discuss centering on the Ravens and the way the Payments must modify to them, they pressured the Ravens to regulate. The Payments saved Derrick Henry under the century mark after permitting him to hit practically 200 dashing yards in Week 4. They took the combat to the Ravens’ defensive position, who, for good motive, drew rave evaluations for his or her run-defending. The Payments operating backs averaged 4.9 yards per stick with it 26 makes an attempt. They pressured Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson into two game-changing turnovers.
And by the top of the night, there the Payments stood, with snow trickling down, permitting the scoreboard’s shiny crimson, white and royal blue lights to shine a jumbotron-long banner even brighter.
“Subsequent cease, AFC Championship.”
And that subsequent cease is to Kansas Metropolis — as a result of, after all it’s.
The very Chiefs group that gave the Payments a merciless lesson on what it takes within the AFC Championship Recreation 4 years in the past, who punished them for in-game errors and flawed choices en path to a blowout loss, nicely, there they’re once more — the AFC gatekeepers of the Tremendous Bowl.
Solely 13 gamers from that AFC Championship Recreation Payments group stay on the roster. Allen, Dawkins and Knox had been there, together with Micah Hyde, Matt Milano, Taron Johnson, Ed Oliver, A.J. Epenesa, Cam Lewis, Reggie Gilliam, Quinton Jefferson, Tyler Bass and Reid Ferguson.
The unique 13 are aware of simply how poetic the upcoming showdown is.
“Yeah, one hundred pc,” Lewis mentioned. “I really feel like we wouldn’t need it no different method.”
“I used to be watching the (Chiefs-Texans) sport the opposite evening with my girlfriend,” Epenesa began. “She was like, ‘What if the Texans win?’ I used to be like, ‘Yeah, you understand, on paper they’re the lesser group, no matter, no matter, however how a lot sweeter wouldn’t it be to have the ability to beat the group that obtained us a few instances up to now and the whole lot like that?’ So I’m undoubtedly on that web page proper now as we’ve got our alternative to do one thing, and I’m trying ahead to it.”
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So much has modified for the Payments between the primary AFC Championship matchup and now.
At that time, the Payments had been merely novices. It was all new to them after solely attending to the wild-card around the 12 months earlier than. They didn’t know what they didn’t find out about deep playoff runs. The expectation was that they’d be again — and shortly. It was solely a matter of time.
“Quickly” wasn’t fairly what everybody anticipated. The Payments have discovered tough classes, 12 months after 12 months, most of which had been dealt to them by the very franchise they’ll face subsequent weekend.
On Sunday, the Payments may have performed in Kansas Metropolis extra instances than they’ve at any of their division rivals over the past 5 years. They’ve been there yearly since that first AFC title tilt, with Sunday marking their sixth soiree at Arrowhead. It is going to be the eighth assembly between these two AFC behemoths over the past 5 years, 4 taking place within the postseason.
However you don’t should be reminded about how the final three have turned out. Most followers of the group have carried the load like an elephant sitting on their collective chest.
AFC Championship Recreation in 2021 — a lopsided loss. AFC Divisional spherical in 2022 — a gut-punching loss with victory being so shut they may style it. AFC Divisional spherical in 2024 — one other loss so shut it had many questioning if the Payments would even return after an offseason roster refresh.
All of it led to this 12 months — the return to the AFC Championship Recreation coming in a 12 months the place nobody thought it doable earlier than the season. Standing earlier than the Chiefs on Sunday would be the Payments, a sculpted Tremendous Bowl contender, hardened by one excruciating playoff exit after one other.
“For the blokes that had been there [in 2021], it’ll undoubtedly I feel be just a little additional chip on the shoulder,” Knox began. “In a method, it may assist. You’ll be able to let it gasoline you just a little bit, however when you dwell on it too laborious or too lengthy, I feel it’s distracting at a degree. However when you form of simply let it lay beneath the floor, if it helps you deliver just a little additional motivation, just a little additional work within the week, nice. However we’re not going to be dwelling on that too laborious.”
That’s one among many issues which have modified about this Payments group.
Gone is the wily Allen, who, by way of all his brilliance, had a penchant for a back-breaking turnover. Gone are the one-dimensional, pass-happy Payments, who ran the ball nicely solely after ample success by way of the air. Gone is the weak-link offensive line of the previous that led to uneven outcomes. And gone is a head coach who often opted towards conservative in-game choices.
Of their place is a franchise quarterback taking part in one of the best soccer of his life, a operating sport that may take all of the strain off that franchise quarterback at any level throughout a sport, an offensive line that is without doubt one of the group’s best strengths and a coach in full belief of his gamers and the maths, unafraid of fourth downs.
However opposing them can be a Chiefs group that has pivoted a number of instances all through its unbelievable run, all whereas remaining the category of the NFL. And definitely, a group desirous to undo their lone lack of the 2024 common season towards the group that spoiled its good season.
The Payments and Chiefs are completely intertwined, each of their private connectors and playoff histories. Nonetheless, as all the time, neither can reside whereas the opposite survives.
“Historical past does have a method of repeating itself,” Dawkins mentioned. “However typically, it has a distinct final result. We’ll see how this one goes.”
(Prime picture: Tina MacIntyre-Yee / USA Right now)