The wait is finally over, and the 2024 regular season is set to kick off on Thursday. The back-to-back champions, the Kansas City Chiefs , will begin their title defense against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. Kansas City defeated Baltimore in the AFC Championship game last year, so this game should have a lot of storylines heading into it.

The 17-10 victory for Kansas City was a close one, but the Chiefs managed to pull through on the road. While the Ravens did get a bit better in some ways this offseason, so did the Chiefs. Kansas City will have home-field advantage this time, and should have a good chance to start their season with a 1-0 record.

The Chiefs should have the edge on Thursday.

Much More Receiving Depth Than Last Season

The Chiefs have more talented pass-catchers this season than they did in 2023.

One thing that’s different about the Chiefs’ offense this year will be their pass-catching options. Marquise Brown was a pretty big addition to the team this offseason, but he’ll unfortunately be out for this matchup with an injury he suffered during the preseason. However, the Chiefs will still have plenty of options available.

It was assumed that Rashee Rice might be suspended to start the season, but recent reports show that Rice should be available on Thursday, and most, if not the rest of the season after that. Being able to keep him in the lineup will be a massive help.

In addition, Kansas City added speedster Xavier Worthy through the draft, and JuJu Smith-Schuster through free agency, after he was cut by the New England Patriots . Worthy’s speed makes him a dangerous weapon for Patrick Mahomes , and Smith-Schuster is a reliable target that Mahomes has been able to trust in the past.

Obviously, Travis Kelce is one of Mahomes’ favorite targets, and he’ll be a weapon during the game on Thursday. However, he’s not the Chiefs’ only tight end that could make a difference. Noah Gray had a solid season in 2023, and he’s joined by 2024 draft pick Jared Wiley , as well as Peyton Hendershot , who Kansas City recently acquired from the Dallas Cowboys .

In 2023, the Chiefs knocked off Baltimore with much less receiving talent than they have now. They’ve got a much bigger arsenal this year, and that will give them an advantage in the rematch.

The Chiefs’ Ability to Stop the Run

The Chiefs shut down the Ravens’ running game last year, and they can do it again on Thursday.

One of the biggest reasons the Chiefs were able to contain the Ravens in the conference championship last year was because they really halted the run game. They didn’t allow Lamar Jackson to make too much of an impact with his legs, and managed to keep the running backs quiet as well.

By shutting down the run game, Kansas City forced Baltimore to throw the ball, which isn’t their strong suit. That worked wonders, as the Ravens made multiple mistakes that way. The Chiefs have a stout defensive front this year that should be able to replicate that feat.

Kansas City obviously has a star in Chris Jones . He’s been one of the best defensive linemen in the sport for quite some time now, and his 13 tackles for a loss in 2023 show how good he is at stopping the run. The Chiefs also have George Karlaftis , who has developed into quite the defender himself.

Aside from those two, Michael Danna quietly had a very solid 2023 season. Danna started 16 games for the Chiefs, totaling 50 tackles with 7 of those coming for a loss. Finally, Tershawn Wharton will have a starting role for the first time in his career this season, and has been solid as a depth player over the past few years.

Kansas City has shown they can beat Baltimore when shutting down their running game, and they’ve got the personnel to make that happen this season, giving them a good chance to win on Thursday.

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.