ExtremeRavens Posted September 26 Posted September 26 Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Sunday’s Week 4 game between the Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Brian Wacker, reporter Chiefs 24, Ravens 20: At the start of the season, I would have liked Baltimore’s chances a lot more. A lot has changed in three weeks, though. The worrisome rate at which the Ravens’ defense is hemorrhaging yards and points combined with a slew of significant injuries, including to Nnamdi Madubuike and Kyle Van Noy, will be problematic against a Chiefs offense that gets speedy receiver Xavier Worthy back this week. Add defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s history of making Lamar Jackson look even just a little less elite along with left tackle Ronnie Stanley dealing with an ankle injury and there’s reason to think that the game might not even be this close. Perhaps Derrick Henry will help control the clock by gashing Kansas City on the ground and propel the Ravens to victory, but there’s too much stacked against Baltimore at this point to have such singular confidence. Sam Cohn, reporter Chiefs 31, Ravens 24: Four weeks ago, I predicted that the Ravens would split road games at Buffalo and Kansas City. No way they’d win both, I thought, but surely they could take one. This Ravens team isn’t playing like the juggernaut, Super-Bowl-bound group most figured it would be. So I’m shifting my prediction. The schedule gets easier from here and they’ll be fine by season’s end, but another loss at Arrowhead will haunt the Ravens throughout the season, making them easy fodder for pundits for an inability to beat the top dogs. The Ravens’ league-best offense will put points on the board, but it won’t be enough to overcome defensive injuries and lapses. As Lamar Jackson said this week, the only way to overcome issues elsewhere will be to “put more points on the board.” He can’t win them every game. Mike Preston, columnist: Chiefs 27, Ravens 24: Both teams are in search of wins. The Ravens are trying to rebound from a tightly contested loss to Detroit on “Monday Night Football,” while the Chiefs had an easier time against the winless Giants. Losses for both teams have come against quality opponents. Kansas City has lost to the Chargers and Eagles while Baltimore has suffered setbacks to the Bills and Lions. This game is virtually a toss-up because the Chiefs have struggled offensively while the Ravens have had defensive problems. It’s hard to win in Kansas City because of the culture and the crowd noise, but look for the Ravens’ receivers to come up with some big plays against cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. The Chiefs, though, have quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and it appears that the offense has gotten it together before it faces a Ravens defense that was humiliated a week ago. Take Mahomes at home. He has a 5-1 record against Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Josh Tolentino, columnist Chiefs 27, Ravens 24: The banged-up Ravens might boast the more talented roster, but recent trends make it difficult to trust them in Kansas City. Baltimore has been outcoached in both of its losses, and now it faces Andy Reid, one of the league’s ultimate in-game chess masters. This contest would’ve carried more juice if both teams had winning records, but there’s still plenty of drama attached. The Ravens’ defense lacked a backbone against Buffalo and Detroit, crumbling over and over again in key moments. While it wouldn’t be a shock if Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and company clean up costly mistakes, it won’t matter until the defense finally shows up. Patrick Mahomes is lacking playmakers, but will that really matter against this version of the Ravens’ defense? C.J. Doon, editor Chiefs 23, Ravens 20: It’s rare to see a “must win” game in Week 4, but that’s what this feels like. In NFL history, only the 2001 Patriots started 1-3 and won the Super Bowl (and that included a quarterback swap to Tom Brady). We’ve seen Baltimore start slowly and go on a run with Lamar Jackson before, but this team does not feel nearly as solid as those previous iterations. The Chiefs’ offense has looked almost as bad as the Ravens’ defense through three games, but Patrick Mahomes is pretty good at doing more with less, and he gets Xavier Worthy back this week. Given Baltimore’s nonexistent pass rush and the rash of injuries along the defensive front, it’s going to be tough to slow down the two-time MVP for a full 60 minutes. If it’s a close game late, I know which team I trust more. Bennett Conlin, editor Chiefs 34, Ravens 31: At full health on a neutral field, give me the Ravens. But playing on the road without Nnamdi Madubuike puts Baltimore in a tough spot. While the Ravens have reason to believe that they should be 2-1 or 3-0, so do the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes’ ability as a scrambler — he’s averaging 6.9 yards per carry this season — makes me worried about how this up-and-down Baltimore defense will fare in a tough road spot. The Ravens might have the most talented team in the NFL, but they’re also 1-5 against the Chiefs, Bills, Eagles and Lions since the start of the 2024 season. Make it 1-6, and look for the pressure to heat up on defensive coordinator Zach Orr. Tim Schwartz, editor Ravens 27, Chiefs 21: I said after Monday night’s loss to the Lions that I would not be taking the Ravens against a top-tier opponent again. But here we are. The Ravens can’t start 1-3, can they? Baltimore has started slow the past few seasons before reeling off a dominant stretch, and with how talented this team is, I suspect that will happen again. It must start Sunday afternoon in Kansas City. Another disappointing performance would open the gates for coaches to be fired — perhaps for good reason. But I expect the Ravens will be ready to play a full 60 minutes and for Derrick Henry to bounce back in a big way. Patrice Sanders, FOX45 Morning News anchor Ravens 30, Chiefs 27: The Ravens are coming off a disappointing loss in prime time. There are a lot of questions surrounding the defense and its lack of playing up to the standard that has been set for years. The Ravens usually bounce back after a loss and that expectation hasn’t changed. Unfortunately, they face Patrick Mahomes, and the Chiefs are 1-2 as well. Chiefs Kingdom will be loud, but there’s no better place for the Ravens to bounce back than in Kansas City. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article Quote
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