#FromStateToSundays: Conference Championship Preview
January 28, 2024 | Football
Mississippi State standout defenders Chris Jones and Wille Gay Jr. will try to punch their tickets to a second straight Super Bowl today when the Kansas City Chiefs compete in the AFC Championship Game.
The Chiefs, who are in the AFC title game for the sixth consecutive year, will travel to take on the Baltimore Ravens at 2 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+. Kansas City didn't face the Ravens during the regular season and in fact, it will be the first meeting between the two teams since Baltimore edged out a 36-35 home win during Week 2 of the 2021 season.
Jones has been a first team All-Pro in each of the last two years and was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl this season. He finished the 2023 regular season with 30 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 10 ½ sacks and 29 quarterback hurries.
So far during the postseason, the defensive tackle from Houston, Mississippi has four stops including a half-sack and also forced a fumble.
Gay left last week's AFC Divisional Playoff win at Buffalo on the Bills' second offensive possession of the game with a neck injury and did not return. The Starkville native was limited in practice this week and enters today's contest listed as questionable.
Gay notched 58 tackles from his linebacker spot during the regular season including four for loss, one sack, one interception, one forced fumble and three recoveries. During playoff action, Gay has tallied five tackles and one stop behind the line of scrimmage.
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens | 2 p.m. CBS, Paramount+
LB Willie Gay Jr. (KC)
DT Chris Jones (KC)
