Ravens @ Chiefs

[tsylvester]

I am not sure what to expect, yes, the Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl Champs, again. But they have been living large this off season, Taylor Swift style too boot. How focussed will they be? Over confident perhaps?

The Ravens had them in several games, but let them off the hook or gave the games away, mistakes, unforced errors were mostly to blame.

They go into the game fully healthy, with a better runningback, more depth in the secondary, but, with a new, young offensive line and unproven edge rushers.

It may take more than a few games, maybe some loses to start the first half of the season for this line, the edge rushers, to really get going.

Still, a win would not surprise me, a loss would not affect as much, given the above mentioned.

Who ya got?

[papasmurfbell]

The OL looks like it will be trash for the foreseeable future.  I dont care what Henry was.  When he was hut in the backfield in Tenn he was human.  Also will they get into I formation to make Henry go?  I think this will be a tough first quarter of the season.

[oldno82]

I think it's going to be a difficult season for the Ravens. So much organizational and team turnover coupled with an overall drop in talent.

I see a relatively easy Chiefs win. Even DeCosta said he expects our offensive line to have some hiccups this year. It's all going to be up to how Lamar can avoid pressure and how well that O-line can create holes for Henry to get into, assuming he's still got enough tread on his tires to last a whole season as an effective back.

Finally, the league schedule makers didn't do the Ravens any favors. The schedule is brutal with the way so many games are compressed with limited days off.

[tsylvester]

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/lamar-jackson-im-not-just-looking-at-thursday-night-as-a-revenge-game

The last time Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson took part in a game, he walked off the field in Baltimore as the Chiefs celebrated another trip to the Super Bowl.

That trip was their fourth in the last five years, so there’s no question who the top dog in the AFC is at the moment. Jackson and the Ravens are going to have to knock the Chiefs off if they want to make it to the quarterback’s first Super Bowl, but Jackson said on Sunday that he’s not putting extra weight on Thursday night’s opener in Kansas City.

“Any game I play in, I feel like it’s a revenge game,” Jackson said, via the team’s website. “I’m not just going to look at this game like a revenge game. Anybody we play, no matter if we’ve beaten them or lost to them in previous years, I just want to win.”

While the playoff loss to the Chiefs adds some extra narrative juice to Thursday’s game, it is still just the first of 17 regular season games that the Ravens will need to get through in order to have any chance of reversing the bitter end to last season. Jackson’s answer shows that perspective, although it’s difficult to imagine knocking off Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in their building wouldn’t be a little sweeter than most regular season wins.

 

[papasmurfbell]

Btw I think the weight loss was a really bad idea.  With bad line play he needs some beef to take hits.  That is the narrative with so many qbs coming out.  There is no reason Lamar should not be different.  

[tsylvester]

He kept the muscle mass, but reduced the beef. As long as he stays away from gluten, I'm okay with it

[papasmurfbell]

We shall see.  

[tsylvester]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/ravens/2024/09/04/baltimore-ravens-kansas-city-chiefs-lamar-jackson/75055449007/

As the Kansas City Chiefs hoist their third Super Bowl banner in five years, the Baltimore Ravens will have a front-row seat to what could have been – not that every day didn't bring its own reminders of last year's AFC championship game loss, and that was before the NFL decided to kick off the 2024 season with a rematch.

Which is why, before kickoff, the Ravens will be subjected to one final deep cut. Then they can finally go about beginning to settle the score from a 17-10 defeat at home.

"Any game I play in, I feel like it’s a revenge game," quarterback and reigning MVP Lamar Jackson said. "So, I’m not going just going to look at this game like it’s a revenge game. Anybody we’ve played, no matter if we’ve beat them or lost to them in previous years, I just want to win."

[papasmurfbell]

Then you should want to do what it takes to win.  If a game is a revenge game you just don’t take it. 

[tsylvester]

Hey, we fans often lose sight that only 1 team has ever won all of their games. Yes, each team can point to more than a few games that they should have won if not for an error or two.

We all have a bad day at work, some days we just do not have what it takes to get the job done, properly.

I know, I know, they get paid a lot more money, so they should always be at their best.

However, they, like us, have family issues that may keep us up all night. Get sick at the worst time. Sleep wrong and wake up sore.

A missed block, a bad throw, a dropped pass, a bad read, a penalty at the worst time. It happens in every game, leads to loss.

I've come to realize that the regular season is to prepare for the post season. Get better, find out and accentuate what works, stave off the weaknesses, what doesnt3 work.

Yes, it is great to win the division, have the #1 sead, but what good does it do in the end?

Teams will win games, and they will lose.

[papasmurfbell]

But it’s not just 1 game.  The zero blitz Miami game the afc championship and plenty of others.  Lamar blinks when things get tough.  

[krf82]

The coaching staff blinks..the players follow coaches'

decisions.

[tsylvester]

Kr man how have you been?

Yes, I am starting to think the same as you and papa, that it might be time for Harbs to retire.

This team has fallen flat in big games, especially in the playoffs recently.

Sure, he did a great job getting the Joe Flacco team to "over achieve" and win a Super Bowl. However, last year,uch like 2019, this team underachieving.

He has the excuse of injuries in between, praise for finally getting rid of Roman, changing the offense, but his inability to keep this team focussed, penalties, lack of apparent accountability, as luch as possible in the league today, is inexcusable.

[oldno82]

Could be Harbs' last year regardless. Every coach who has been around the same team for as long as he has begins to experience testiness and message burnout. Could be his last season. We'll have to see how team does this year.

[papasmurfbell]

I heard a staggering stat this afternoon.  Kelce in the mahones era has been targeted 43 times in ravens games.  He has an insane 38 completions in those games.  Cover the damned te.  Learn from your mistakes.

[tsylvester]

Well, Kelce is great against zone, so there is that. Also, when the pocket breaks down, he knows where to be for Mahomes, another big part of his receptions.

I agree, even in zone, you can play match up zone against him, just follow him to the next zone. Shoot, man against him at the very least.

[papasmurfbell]

Exactly.  That is way to high a completion percentage.

[oldno82]

I wonder what that stat is for Mike Andrews prior to last season.

[papasmurfbell]

In the kc games?

[oldno82]

Yes…any data?

[deeshopper]

It's gonna be a bad night.

[papasmurfbell]

41 minutes ago, oldno82 said:

Yes…any data?

Let me look.  I might be able to figure it out.

[papasmurfbell]

5 hours ago, oldno82 said:

Yes…any data?

13 rec    24 targ      109 yds

I didnt know it was that bad.

I just looked up yds for Kelce in those games 488.  If you want it I can give you the game by game numbers.

[papasmurfbell]

BTW  Less than 7 hrs to go.

[krf82]

A quick tempo on offense will help the youngins' on the o-line, enable quick passes and keep pressure off Lamar.

Long developing plays will need to be setup by previous (successful) calls.

Am I asking too much?