Where did it all go wrong for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens?

The long wait for the Baltimore Ravens to return to a Super Bowl will have to go on. The team's first home AFC Championship game ended in tears as the Kansas City Chiefs won 17-10, reaching their second straight Super Bowl. There can be no excuses brewing from Ravens fans, as the team had the chances to win, but failed to take them.

Through the constant offensive struggles, the Ravens couldn't make any progress. When Lamar Jackson could move the ball into the red zone, he either threw an interception or Zay Flowers coughed it up.

Andy Reid dialing it back and playing it safe allowed the Ravens' defense to start dominating, but the damage was done in the first half.

The two 15-yard penalties before half-time to get the Chiefs into field-goal range completely changed the game and the team abandoned the run as a result. The run game that the Ravens are so dominant in was also disregarded.

Lamar Jackson will win his second MVP in two weeks, but he's not the same in the regular season. The Chiefs' defense got close to taking Lamar down on several plays, but besides the touchdown, his tackling went unpunished.

John Harbaugh yet again has to stomach a playoff loss. Everything pointed towards this being the year of the Baltimore Ravens, but unfortunately, they fell to the same trap as every other team in the AFC.

2024 looks like a difficult season for the Baltimore Ravens

AFC Championship - Kansas City Chiefs v Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson had to be paid last off-season and it was clear it was the right decision. However, $250 million over five years is back-breaking. Mahomes could make do with pretty much anyone around him, but we haven't seen that quality from Jackson.

Odell Beckham, Kevin Zeitler, Gus Edwards, Patrick Queen, Justin Madubuike, and Devin Duvernay are soon to be free agents. These players had a big role in the 2023 first-seed team and those pieces are going to disappear.

With Joe Burrow and Deshaun Watson set to come back, one would expect the Ravens defense to be worked in 2024. The world was in the palms of Lamar Jackson, but that world was taken back by Patrick Mahomes.