31 January 2024 , 00:00
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Justin Tucker, the Baltimore Ravens kicker, hinted that Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were stirring up trouble before the AFC Championship game.
The Chiefs defence outplayed Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, securing a 17-10 victory at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday night. Mahomes was calm under pressure, completing 30 of 39 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown. That win sent the Chiefs to their fourth Super Bowl in five seasons. Kelce also played a key role, leading the Chiefs in receiving with 11 catches for 116 yards and a score. He even surpassed Jerry Rice's NFL postseason record of 151 receptions.
Before the game, there was a strange moment when Kelce and Mahomes clashed with Tucker. Kelce wasn't happy about where Tucker chose to warm-up and kicked away Tucker's teed-up ball before throwing the rest of his practice balls off to the side.
Kelce quickly removed Tucker's helmet from the playing field, ensuring that Mahomes, a two-time MVP, could warm up properly. The NFL reports explain the peculiar incident occurred before the official warmup period, where players must remain within their 45-yard line areas- kickers being the only exception.
Tucker being at the end zone zone where Mahomes was practicing seemed to be provoking the Kansas City Chiefs. Interestingly, he didn't carry a kickoff tee, possibly hinting he may have been going for extraordinary 110-yard field goals. You can follow Mirror US on Google News for all the latest sports updates.
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However, Tucker clarifies he was merely stretching and had no intentions of annoying Mahomes or Kelce. Sharing with journalists on Monday, he said: "For those that don't know, the way it works is each team's kicker goes to the other team's designated warmup area on the field. "For me, it's usually 90 mins before kickoff. I've been doing the exact same thing for 12 years, never really had a problem with anybody."
Travis Kelce threw Justin Tucker's balls and helmet away to help Patrick Mahomes practice (JamesPalmerTV/X)Maybe Mahomes and Kelce were trying to rattle the Ravens on their home ground before a big game. It seemed to work, as Baltimore lost their cool several times during the AFC Championship, resulting in five personal fouls.
The Chiefs are set to take on the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, a repeat of Super Bowl LIV where Mahomes led Kansas City to a thrilling 31-20 win. The match is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 11.
Travis Kelce threw Justin Tucker's balls and helmet away to help Patrick Mahomes practice (No credit)