Behind Enemy Lines: 5 questions with Chiefs Wire ahead of Week 2
The Baltimore Ravens are set to take on the Kansas City Chiefs under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football in Week 2 of the 2021 season. Baltimore currently stands at 0-1 and will look to get into the win column for the first time this year against a very good Kansas City team.
The Ravens have lost three-straight games to the Chiefs, so Baltimore will have to play an all-around great game of football to have a chance to win this one, especially with all of the injuries that they have sustained so far.
Below we talk to Charles Goldman of The Chiefs Wire, who answers five questions ahead of the Ravens’ Week 2 matchup with Kansas City.
What can the Ravens' defense do to slow down Patrick Mahomes?
Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Pressure him, relentlessly. I think that’s really the key to getting to any good quarterback -- to get them off their mark and out of their comfort zone with pressure. Mahomes is no different. You saw in Super Bowl LV how consistent and constant pressure was able to disrupt this offense. The Ravens need to be able to do that, specifically while rushing four defenders, if they’re going to be able to slow down Mahomes at all.
If Baltimore keys in on Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, who are some other pass-catching weapons that the Ravens should be aware of?
(AP Photo/Gail Burton)
Mecole Hardman is probably a guy to look out for this week. Over 15% of his NFL receiving yards production has come against the Ravens in 2019 and 2020. Beyond that, Ravens fans should keep their eye out for some trick plays. Last year, LT Eric Fisher caught a TD pass against the Ravens. Last week, the Chiefs tried to get reserve OL Mike Remmers a TD on a tunnel screen near the goal line. I wouldn’t be surprised if Andy Reid went into his bag of tricks and schemed up something tricky for Week 2 as well.
What's the mood about Orlando Brown right now in Kansas City?
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
I think if you’re looking at the numbers for the offensive line across the board, you have to call Brown the weak link on that offensive line. That’s not really a slight against him because I think he’s played quite well, but some of the other guys on the Chiefs’ line have just been better. Brown gave up three pressures in the preseason. He gave up a career-high 5 pressures against the Browns in Week 1. Albeit, he’s going against Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. He’s been a beast in the run game per usual, but I think he’s still adjusting to the new scheme in Kansas City. I don’t think anyone has a doubt that he’ll improve because he seems to be wired that way.
What are a few strengths and weaknesses of the Chiefs' defense?
(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Both the secondary and defensive line are the clear strengths of the group as of late and with Tyrann Mathieu and Frank Clark expected to return to the lineup, they’re only expected to get better. Last week, I think some leaks in the run defense were exposed. Kansas City finished their Week 1 game against Cleveland with 13 missed tackles. Basically, where the Ravens are considered the strongest (the running game) is probably the area where the Chiefs were the weakest through one week of play.
Who do you think wins this game and why?
Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
I had this pegged for a much closer game before all of the injuries that Baltimore is currently dealing with. Last week proved that you still need to be able to play perfect football against the Chiefs in order to win games. Having a ton of replacement players on offense and defense isn’t really conducive to that. I’m picking the Chiefs to win by a touchdown in fairly convincing fashion. Lamar will make some plays because he's a baller, but I don't think it'll be enough. Chiefs 30, Ravens 23
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