NFL Opening Night: Unpacking the Three Decisive Factors for Ravens vs. Chiefs
At last, the NFL season is here. The NFL has gifted football fans a fantastic game to begin the 2024 regular season with a repeat of the AFC Championship Game from last season, after six months without regular season action. The Kansas City Chiefs and star quarterback Patrick Mahomes approach the new season with even higher ambitions of hoping to become the first team to win three straight titles this season after becoming only the ninth team in NFL history to win back-to-back Super Bowls this past February. Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson, the two-time MVP quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, hopes to lead his team to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2012. To achieve their desired outcomes, both teams must first get through the regular season, which gets underway at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night when these two AFC rivals square off once again. Since Jackson and Mahomes entered the league, the Chiefs have a 4-1 record against the Ravens, including in the regular and postseason. Whether Jackson and crew can ruin the Chiefs' Super Bowl Banner celebrations or if the Chiefs defeat the Ravens once more will rely primarily on a few significant factors. Let's dissect it.
Ravens’ Newly Shaped Offensive Line vs. Chiefs’ Edge Rushers
After training camp, the Ravens' freshly formed offensive line is one of their main areas of focus and worry. With guard Kevin Zeitler joining the Lions in free agency and tackle Morgan Moses being dealt to the Jets, the Ravens lost two key veteran players on their line over the offseason. Following former Georgia Bulldogs offensive coordinator Todd Monken joining the organization last season, Zeitler and Moses' presence served as a stabilizing factor on the offensive line for a team operating under a new offensive scheme. The Ravens now have to adjust to having three entirely new players on their line, with guards Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele, as well as 2024 second-round rookie tackle Roger Rosengarten from the University of Washington, who will be expected to protect Jackson when he drops back to pass and create space for four-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry to run.
However, the Ravens will face a strong pass rush from the Chiefs, so achieving these objectives won't be simple. Coming off a brand new contract extension this offseason to become the highest-paid defensive tackle, Chris Jones, who recorded 10 or more sacks for the second straight season in 2023-24, remains the anchor piece on the Chiefs' defensive line. In addition, the Chiefs will have young players returning from last season, who were a big part of their Super Bowl run. Most notably, this includes George Karlaftis, a third-year edge rusher who had a fumble recovery in Super Bowl LVIII against the 49ers and a career-high 10.5 sacks last season in addition to 47 total tackles. If the Ravens are unable to contain the Chiefs' edge rushers, it may be a long night for Jackson and a major factor in deciding who wins.
Ravens’ Secondary vs. Travis Kelce
One of the main reasons the Ravens eventually fell short against the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game was their inability to contain veteran tight end Travis Kelce's production. The Ravens' secondary was cut apart throughout the game by Mahomes and Kelce, with Kelce recording 11 receptions for 116 yards and one touchdown in the victory. The Ravens will have to devise a plan of attack prior to kickoff on Thursday in order to stop the Mahomes-Kelce connection and force any of the Chiefs' offensive weapons, such as rookie receiver Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson, or Skyy Moore, to beat them. The Chiefs, meantime, are hoping that second-year wideout Rashee Rice, who became the team's top receiver after missing out on 1,000 receiving yards a season ago by just 62 yards, and Worthy, who was renowned for his speed at the University of Texas, will be able to capitalize on the Ravens' attention on Kelce and outlast a talented Ravens' secondary that is led by first-team All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Williams, Brandon Stephens, and rookie Nate Wiggins.
Special Teams
A game involving two closely matched teams, like the Chiefs and Ravens, who have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, makes every drive even more crucial to at least finish with three points if a touchdown is not scored. For the Ravens and Chiefs, both sides have two of the league’s best special team units in the NFL. Last season, the Chiefs' special teams ranked third in the NFL, led by kicker Harrison Butker, who had a career-best season, converting 33 of 35 field goals and going perfect on extra point attempts. At the same time, the Ravens have an equally talented special team unit, anchored by seven-time Pro Bowler Justin Tucker, the most accurate kicker in NFL history. Even though his numbers from last season may be misleading, with four of his five field goal misses coming from distances of 50 yards or more, Tucker had a typical stellar season. With Tucker and Butker being clutch kickers for their respective teams, they very well could end up having a significant impact on the game. If the game is tightly contested going into the fourth quarter, the result of this thrilling opening night matchup may depend greatly on which team can place their kicker in the best field position to convert for a potential game-winning field goal.
