Week one has arrived, and the opener certainly lived up to the hype, with nearly all 80,000 fans on their feet as the Chiefs narrowly edged out a victory against the Baltimore Ravens. Nearly six months prior, they struggled to find rhythm, with Lamar Jackson throwing two critical interceptions and failing to sustain drives. The offensive line was porous, allowing multiple sacks and disrupting the team's ability to establish a running game. Key receivers dropped important passes, including a potential game-changing catch in the end zone.
Although the Baltimore Ravens ultimately fell short again, their fans should not be left with dismay after this outing. The Ravens, led by Harbaugh, showcased not only resilience throughout the matchup; however, Lamar Jackson fought through adversity, nearly overcoming a ten-point deficit during the fourth quarter. If Isaiah Likely hadn’t been out of bounds by just a toe, he would have stayed in play, and the Ravens might have either gone to overtime or tried a two-point conversion for the win. Nevertheless, Baltimore should be proud of their efforts tonight, performing much better offensively than they did in the AFC Championship Game primarily due to three reasons: (a) their offense looked significantly better this time around, (b) their defense held their own against Patrick Mahomes, and (c) unexpected players rose to the occasion.
Even though Isaiah Likely was already a household name in Baltimore due to Mark Andrews' injury concerns, which caused Andrews to miss 10 games over the past two seasons, he remained relatively unknown outside the Ravens' fanbase prior to the opener. The Coastal Carolina alumni merely started ten games in a span of two seasons, accumulating no more than 415 yards during both campaigns. In addition to that, he only played roughly 7-35% of offensive snaps when Mark Andrews was present, a stark contrast to 74% while the former pro-bowler was absent.
However, that doesn't change the fact that Likely did not have the potential to be a great player. First and foremost, he possesses an unusual knack for route-running, allowing him to create separation from defenders and make himself a reliable weapon across the air. For instance, he utilizes his skills, then turns the defender’s hips, and immediately accelerates. Furthermore, he excels at yards after the catch—being able to utilize his strength and speed to burst away from defenders. As a matter of fact, he not only can stretch the field through Y.A.C, but instead climb the ladder or lower himself to yank the ball.
Nonetheless, Isaiah Likely played a substantial role, since the Ravens made 12 personnel their base offense nearly forty times. Thanks to the increased role of Raven’s second string TE, he guided the team with nine catches for over 111 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Rashod Bateman partook in nearly eighty percent of Mobtown's offensive snaps, and he did not disappoint whatsoever accumulating for over fifty yards. Unfortunately, Zay Flowers, who many considered a steal in last season's draft, led the team with 71 snaps and ran 48 routes. Furthermore, he was involved in four plays called back due to penalties and finished with just 37 receiving yards. Once Devontez Walker, their fourth-round pick is integrated in their offense--one could perhaps expect their air game to improve outside of Likely.
Outside of Lamar Jackson racking up 122 rushing yards, Baltimore's ground game was clearly underwhelming. Their rushing offense solely resulted in 63 rushing yards, with Derrick Henry averaging a dispirited 3.5 yards per carry. One notable advantage, however, was seasoned veteran Justice Hill spending as much time on the field as Henry. Hill performed in roughly 83 percent of Baltimore’s two minute drill snaps according to Pro Football Focus, whereas the former Tennessee Titans running back was on the field during the early-downs.
To add onto that, their defense quite literally held their own against Patrick Mahomes and company, limiting significant yardage to just Worthy, Rice, and a single play by Kelce through the air. In fact, Baltimore's defense recorded more sacks than Kansas City, with over two. Former All-Pro, Roquan Smith made numerous crucial plays throughout the competition, especially a diving interception late in the second quarter. But enough talking about the Ravens, let’s shift our focus to Chiefs kingdom.
Xavier Worthy established himself as the number two wide receiver following the preseason alongside Hollywood Brown’s significant injury. Their first-round rookie burst onto the scene as a natural playmaker, flaunting the ability to track the ball and create separation through his superb route-running skills. Furthermore, his ability to be utilized through not only the slot but the outside speaks volumes on his impact to the offense. Lastly, he demonstrates the ability to break through defenders given his speed. As a result, he demonstrated his offensive prowess tonight, resulting in two touchdowns and 68 yards from scrimmage. For the time being, Rasheed Rice has established himself as the clear cut primary receiver, participating in eighty percent of the offensive snaps. To add onto that, he led the team in targets, offensive snaps, and over 100 receiving yards. On the other hand, while Mahomes made only a few big plays, each one was crucial and effective—throwing nearly 300 passing yards.
While their running game wasn't necessarily effective, Pacheco played adequately, resulting in nearly eighty scrimmage yards. Moreover, he played an immense amount of early-down situations and appears to share third down plays with Perine—which was an issue last season since McKinnon cooperated in nearly 70 percent.
On the flip side, their defense excelled against the reigning MVP, limiting air plays except for the Likely touchdown and the final drive, while Spagnuolo frequently blitzed their offense. Chris Jones reinforced himself as the best defensive tackle in the league, along with his role as the anchor of the Chiefs' defense, leading the team in both sacks and pressures.
Until next time.
— SportsPulse.
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