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AFC championship game preview: Ravens look to change narrative; Chiefs aim for another Super Bowl appearance

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AFC championship game preview: Ravens look to change narrative; Chiefs aim for another Super Bowl appearance

The AFC’S top-seeded Baltimore Ravens may be the hottest team in football, winning eight of their last nine, their lone loss coming in Week 18 while key players rested. 

But the Kansas City Chiefs should not feel like an underdog.

Despite being the third seed, this is their sixth consecutive AFC championship game.

Let’s look at what to watch for in this matchup.

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Quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) of the Kansas City Chiefs shakes hands with quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) of the Baltimore Ravens after the Chiefs defeated the Ravens 27-24 in overtime to win at Arrowhead Stadium Dec. 9, 2018, in Kansas City, Mo.  (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The pressure is on, but not on who you may think

There’s no question the Chiefs have gotten plenty more eyeballs this season thanks to Taylor Swift. And just prior to the postseason, many wondered if their heightened popularity and stardom was affecting their play on the field.

But nobody is facing more pressure than Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Jackson is likely going to be named the NFL MVP for the second time in his career next month, but his main bugaboo has been his lack of success in the playoffs.

Entering this postseason, he was 1-3 in playoff games. This is his first trip to the AFC title game. It’s Patrick Mahomes’ sixth, despite him being just 15 months older than Jackson.

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Jackson signed a $260 million contract extension in the offseason after requesting a trade, and it’s off to a nice start. But the main question about him has yet to be answered.

Mahomes has answered plenty of questions.

Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after rushing for a touchdown against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter of an AFC divisional playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium Jan. 20, 2024, in Baltimore. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

The injury report favors Baltimore

In Week 11, Ravens tight end Mark Andrews reportedly cracked a fibula, and even head coach John Harbaugh thought the injury was “season-ending.”

But the Ravens took him off injured reserve Friday, making him active for Sunday. 

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GENERAL MOTORS PLANT DELAYS SHIFT START TIME SO EMPLOYEES CAN WATCH LIONS IN NFC CHAMPIONSHIP

While Isaiah Likely has emerged at tight end and it’s unknown what Andrews’ role and snap count will be, the Ravens aren’t complaining about having two options.

Chiefs’ All-Pro offensive lineman Joe Thuney will be out with a pec strain. We saw what happened when the Chiefs had an injury-compromised offensive line in the 2021 Super Bowl against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, combine that with question marks about the wide receiving corps. 

Speaking of which …

Lamar Jackson (8) of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates with Mark Andrews (89) after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at M&T Bank Stadium Nov. 20, 2022, in Baltimore. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

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Can the Chiefs hold onto the ball?

The Chiefs have hurt themselves with dropped passes all season. They led the NFL in drops, and Mecole Hardman had two fumbles in the divisional round, one of which rolled through the end zone and resulted in a touchback.

RAVENS’ MARK ANDREWS ACTIVE FOR AFC TITLE GAME VS. CHIEFS JUST WEEKS AFTER DEVASTATING INJURY

But Travis Kelce is still Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes is still Patrick Mahomes and Rashee Rice has filled in nicely.

But all it takes is one costly misplay, and we’ve seen plenty throughout the season.

Yet there is one guy who is doing everything he can so far to bring the Chiefs back to the Super Bowl.

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Rashee Rice (4) of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates a third-quarter touchdown catch with Travis Kelce (87) against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium Dec. 10, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo.  (David Eulitt/Getty Images)

Travis Kelce is getting hot

Kelce had an up-and-down season after setting career highs in every category last year. It was the first time since 2015 he failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards. He was 16 shy while missing two games. 

The star tight end had 303 yards receiving weeks 6 and 7 combined but totaled 459 in his final nine games. He had under 50 receiving yards in five of those contests.

So far in the playoffs, though, he’s been vintage Kelce, catching 12 passes for 146 yards and two scores, both of which came last week. 

This is par for the course for Kelce, a stud no matter the situation. 

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Was it Swift that slowed him down? Or maybe he rushed back from that hyperextended knee he suffered two days before the season started? In any case, he’s picking a good time to get hot again.

Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of a game against the Miami Dolphins at Deutsche Bank Park Nov. 5, 2023, in Frankfurt, Germany. (Ralf Ibing/firo sportphoto/Getty Images)

Kickoff is Sunday at 3 p.m. 

Kick back, relax and enjoy the show.

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Mike Breen says fans ‘deserve to be thrown a bone’ as NBA cuts all local broadcasts from the playoffs

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Mike Breen says fans ‘deserve to be thrown a bone’ as NBA cuts all local broadcasts from the playoffs

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Mike Breen, the New York Knicks’ play-by-play announcer and star NBA voice with ESPN, is not happy with a key league move heading into the NBA Playoffs.

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And he didn’t hold back his frustrations during the Knicks’ regular-season finale on Sunday night.

For the first time in NBA history, all local network broadcasts are being pushed out of the playoffs for nationally televised games. Those networks paid a premium to air the playoffs, but the league had always allowed the local home broadcast to be aired as well as the national TV spots in previous seasons.

ESPN play-by-play sports commentator Mike Breen looks on prior to the game between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on Feb. 25, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Celtics defeated the 76ers 110-107. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Breen, alongside his longtime partner, Knicks great Walt “Clyde” Frazier, ripped the league’s decision on the final day of his broadcasting duties for the Eastern Conference squad.

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“First time ever that no longer can the home team announcers and broadcasters televise the first round,” Breen mentioned during the 110-96 loss to the Charlotte Hornets while broadcasting on MSG.

KNICKS BROADCASTER’S JOKE COMPARING BULLS’ ‘OBLITERATED’ DEFENSE TO IRAN LEAVES PARTNER STUNNED

“The entire playoffs are exclusive to national TV broadcasters. I mentioned this earlier this season. I think, personally, Clyde, it’s a poor decision. Fans want to hear their home team announcers, at least in the first round. For so many of us, they become part of the family.”

Breen added that he understands “the networks pay a fortune for exclusivity,” granted he works for one of those networks on ESPN.

“But fans deserve to be thrown a bone once in a while in terms of letting the home team have a little bit of the first round,” he continued.

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The NBA reached a whopping $76 billion broadcast rights deal that kicked in at the start of this season, and it will last for the next 11 seasons. Like other pro sports leagues, the deal is carved out across various platforms, both long-standing networks and streaming.

ESPN play-by-play announcer Mike Breen calls the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 17, 2024. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)

While the NBA got together the deal it liked with Disney, Amazon and NBCUniversal, Breen hopes it would consider working something out to get local broadcasters back into the fold for the playoffs.

However, he knows how the business is at the end of the day.

“Somehow, if there’s any way they can work out some kind of compromise, I’m not hopeful for that, but it would be wonderful to have it because this is our final telecast of the season,” Breen said.

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Breen, now, will focus on his ESPN duties as the lead commentator for the “Worldwide Leader” on the court. His famous “Bang!” call on clutch three-pointers has been synonymous with the biggest moments in the NBA Playoffs for years now, and that will get started very soon as teams in both the East and West gun for their shot at the Larry O’Brien Trophy and to call themselves NBA Finals champions.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, the reigning Finals champs, are the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference once again, while teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers will battle them to be crowned conference champions.

Mike Breen looks on before the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers during Round 2 Game 3 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals 2023 NBA Playoffs on May 6, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images)

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In the East, Breen’s Knicks own the No. 3 seed, while the Detroit Pistons (No. 1) and Boston Celtics (No. 2) had successful regular-season campaigns to earn a top spot heading into the playoffs.

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The Play-In Tournament will be the first games for the NBA Playoffs, which will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Then, the first round will split its tipoffs on NBC/Peacock, Prime Video and ESPN.

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Jonathan Quick, who won two Stanley Cup titles with Kings, announces retirement from NHL

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Jonathan Quick, who won two Stanley Cup titles with Kings, announces retirement from NHL

New York Rangers goalkeeper Jonathan Quick is calling it a career after 19 NHL seasons and three Stanley Cup championships — with 16 of those seasons and two championships as a member of the Kings.

The 40-year-old goalie told reporters Monday that he would be playing in his final game that night when the Rangers visit the Florida Panthers. It will mark Quick’s 921st game appearance, counting playoffs.

“Tonight will be my last game in the league, and I am looking forward to it,” Quick said following the morning skate ahead at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. “My wife flew down with the kids, my parents will be here. I am looking forward to this last one, try to get one more win here.”

He added of his decision: “It just felt right. Felt like the right time. I put some thought into it.”

Selected by the Kings in the third round of the 2005 draft, Quick became a fixture in front of the net for L.A. during the 2008-09 season. He was a key member of the Kings’ Stanley Cup champion teams in 2012 and 2014, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs with a 16-4 record, a .946 save percentage and 1.41 goals-against average.

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Quick won a silver medal as a backup goaltender for the U.S. at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, although he did not see any playing time. At the 2014 Sochi Games, Quick went 3-2 as the starting goalie for the fourth-place U.S. team.

By March 2023, Quick was the Kings’ leader among goalies in the categories of total games (743), wins (370) and shutouts (57). At age 37, however, he had also lost a step or two. The Kings traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets, who turned around and dealt him to the Vegas Golden Knights the next day.

Quick saw a decent amount of playing time down the stretch in the regular season because of injuries to the Golden Knights’ goaltenders. He didn’t make it into any games during the team’s championship run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

After spending the last three seasons in New York, Quick is set to make his 70th and final start with the Rangers and add the final numbers to a stat line that currently includes 20,315 saves (18th most all time), 410 wins (12th most) and 65 shutouts (17th).

“He earned the respect of his teammates, coaches and staff members through his work ethic and dedication to his craft,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury said in a statement posted on social media. “Jonathan is a special person and player, and the entire Rangers organization wishes him — along with his wife, Jackie, and three children, Madison, Carter and Cash — all the best in retirement.”

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The Rangers are 33-38-9 and will miss the playoffs for the second straight season. They finish the year Wednesday night at Tampa Bay.

Another key member of the Kings championship teams, Anze Kopitar, also is retiring after this season, following 20 years in the NHL, all with L.A.

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ESPN star calls for 2017 Masters winner to have his lifetime exemption removed after meltdown

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ESPN star calls for 2017 Masters winner to have his lifetime exemption removed after meltdown

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ESPN star Mike Greenberg called for Sergio Garcia’s lifetime exemption into the Masters Tournament to be pulled after his antics on the course in the final round on Sunday.

Garcia received a code of conduct warning after he smashed his driver in frustration at Augusta National. He slammed his club into the turf twice after hitting a shot that ended up in the bunker. Then he took a swipe at a table with a green cooler on it.

ESPN personality Mike Greenberg is interviewed on radio row at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, on Feb. 1, 2017, ahead of Super Bowl LI. (Jerry Lai/USA TODAY Sports)

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Greenberg seemingly saw Garcia’s anger as a detrimental issue.

“A lifetime exemption is a privilege extended by Augusta to its champions out of respect,” he wrote on X. “If that respect is not reciprocated, there is no law that says a past champ cannot be banned.

RORY MCILROY REPEATS AS MASTERS CHAMPION, JOINS RARE COMPANY AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL

Sergio Garcia lines up a putt on the second green during the first round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on Apr. 9, 2026. (Michael Madrid/Imagn Images)

“I’m not sure they should have Sergio Garcia back after the garbage he pulled today.”

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Garcia, who competes in LIV Golf, won the Masters in 2017. It is his only major victory of his career. Since winning in 2017, he only made the cut for the final two rounds once. The feat came at this year’s tournament. He finished 52nd in the field.

Sergio Garcia plays his shot on the seventeenth hole during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on April 10, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)

He joined LIV Golf in 2022 as he was among the PGA Tour stars who left the organization. He has two wins in the series – at LIV Golf Andalucía in 2024 and LIV Golf Hong Kong in 2025. He played his way into a playoff four times, only winning the Andalucía event.

Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.

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