The Baltimore Ravens will face their toughest season test this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
The Ravens’ defense has faced a gauntlet of top offenses and quarterbacks this season, but they have yet to face the best: Patrick Mahomes. While the Chiefs’ offense has not been as dangerous this season as in years past with Mahomes at quarterback, there is no denying the gravity of the task at hand for Baltimore this Sunday.
While he no longer has wide receiver Tyreek Hill at his disposal, Mahomes still has his go-to weapon in the passing attack in All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce. Like Kansas City’s offense, though, Kelce has seemingly taken a step back this season. The 34-year-old future Hall of Famer recorded less than 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since his second season in the NFL in 2015.
Don’t let that fool you, though, as Kelce is still as dangerous as it comes at the position and will provide a sizable challenge for defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. One player who could be pivotal in slowing Kelce this weekend is second-year All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton.
[Travis Kelce] is a great player in our league,” Hamilton said when speaking to the media on Wednesday. “He has been a great player for as long as I can remember, as long as I have been watching him at this level. He has earned every ounce of respect that he has received until this point, and it will be a challenge. I am part of the plan to hopefully take him away, but it is a team effort at the same time.”
Hamilton has established his presence as a physical playmaker and one of the league’s best safeties in his second season, with the versatility to move all around the defense. At 6-foot-4 with a massive wingspan and speed to match, Hamilton may be the perfect player to combat Kelce, though, as he mentioned, it will be a team effort.
