On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens will face off in a crucial AFC showdown. With each team losing two of their first three games, the loser will fall further out of the playoff race, but the winner will stay in the hunt. Both teams have struggled this season, but with Arrowhead magic on their side, the boys in red should have the edge.
After three games, the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens have each lost two games they potentially could have won. The Ravens’ defense couldn’t maintain leads against the Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions.
The Chiefs appeared to be struggling against the Chargers, but had a chance to win late. As for the Eagles’ loss, let’s say that goes to the team at Park Avenue in New York. Honestly, Kansas City held the Eagles to fewer than 200 yards of offense, but mistakes in the Red Zone cost them the game.
Now, with the Chiefs returning home, they have a chance to turn things around. Although their offense hasn’t looked great, they managed to come together in the second half of their Sunday night game against the New York Giants.
In fact, since the Giants might have the best front seven in football, this was a bigger win than some people recognized the Chiefs for in New York. They left the Big Apple, defeating the Giants on the road for the first time in franchise history.
However, Kansas City will face a Ravens team feeling the pressure of being a legitimate Super Bowl contender, which they have yet to win. They’ve been struggling in key game situations, reinforcing the idea that they can’t win the big game in January.
Now, I’m not a massive fan of Lamar Jackson, but he is a two-time NFL MVP. Still, that’s not enough if he wants to compete in the Mahomes era. Jackson is incredibly talented, but even with running back Derrick Henry, a suddenly reliable DeAndre Hopkins, and one of the best tight ends in the league, veteran Mark Andrews, they don’t reach their full potential.
The Chiefs struggle in the Red Zone, while the Ravens fail to close out games after building big leads. It’s a story of two NFL teams, but Baltimore is clearly the more disappointing one.
A significant part of their failures stems from coaching philosophy and Lamar Jackson’s uncertain approach to playing quarterback. Despite his aspiration to be a passing quarterback and his capability to throw effectively, he remains primarily a runner in the role.
I’ve said it many times before, and I stand by it: I don’t believe his decision-making style can lead to a Super Bowl win. Still, he’s highly praised for his skills in both areas. However, when the game is on the line, he often fails to deliver.
On the flip side, no quarterback has a better record when trailing by double digits than Patrick Mahomes. He’s a magician at maximizing every yard during those last-ditch efforts to come back and win games.
However, no NFL quarterback carries his team like Mahomes does every week.
Now, if the offense had been better in the early parts of some of those games, the future Hall of Fame quarterback would have had an easier time winning some of them.
Still, both teams view Sunday’s game as a championship showdown. The Ravens, if their offense clicks and their defense makes a few key stops, could blow out the Chiefs at Arrowhead. If they struggle, it will still be a close game unless Mahomes and the offense find their rhythm early.
Xavier Worthy is expected to play on Sunday, which should be beneficial to the team. If he and Tyquan Thornton can open up the field together, it will create more space for Tight End Travis Kelce and Wide Receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Hollywood Brown.
Defensively, the most important player on the field will be linebacker Leo Chenal. If I were Steve Spagnuolo, I’d make him Jackson’s shadow. Chenal did that last season in the season opener against the Ravens so that he could perform the job.
Ultimately, this will be a battle to see which team can finish the first quarter of the season with a balanced record. With the Buffalo Bills heading toward the AFC’s top seed, have you noticed their easy schedule? This game is vital for seeding and gaining momentum in the conference.
If Kansas City wants to win this game, the offense needs to build on its success against the Giants’ defense by throwing the ball deep down the field. Also, if they can spot any similarities to an NFL running game, it will be beneficial.
There is a lot at stake on Sunday, but a win would enable the Chiefs to erase their 0-2 start and kick off a period where three of their next four games in October are at home.
Score Prediction:
Chiefs 29 – Ravens 26
