Against the Chiefs’ elite pass defense and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the best postseason defensive coordinator in recent memory, the answer was clear. Everything from the film to numbers screamed for the Ravens to run the ball in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.
• Chiefs are 22nd in defensive success rate against the run.
• Chiefs are fourth-best in defensive EPA against the pass.
• Since 2022 (regular and playoffs), the Chiefs are the fifth-worst team in defensive EPA against designed quarterback runs and scrambles.
The Ravens needed to put big bodies on the field, they needed to run between the tackles, and they had to make Jackson a high-volume runner again.