Since 2018, the Baltimore Ravens have a 1-5 record against the Kansas City Chiefs, including the playoffs. The lone victory was a 1-point win in 2021. Baltimore had a chance to right the wrongs from previous seasons in Week 1, but couldn’t make plays when it mattered most. The Baltimore Ravens beat themselves due to untimely mistakes that can be improved going into Week 2.
The Ravens and Chiefs were awarded the privilege of playing in the NFL’s opening game of the 2024 season. Both teams have become very familiar with one another over the past few seasons, establishing a legitimate rivalry in the process. Friends know each other well, but so do foes. In this case, the latter applies. These Ravens and Chiefs don’t like each other but have a great deal of respect for each other. Baltimore fell one game short of a Super Bowl berth last season after losing to Kansas City- a concerning theme. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes then went on to win his third NFL championship, while Baltimore looks to figure out a formula.
Two Things Baltimore Ravens Can Improve in Preparation for Week 2
After a semi-controversial but fully heartbreaking loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, the Ravens will look to improve in all facets. At times, the offense looked sloppy and the defense looked confused. Although Baltimore persevered, some things need to be cleaned up.
1) Penalties
The Ravens committed far too many penalties in Week 1- most notably, the illegal formation penalty. Baltimore was called for five illegal formation penalties in total. Three were charged to Ronnie Stanley, and the other two were assessed to Patrick Mekari and Rashod Bateman. The league is looking to correct illegal formations that are advantageous to the offense. Last season, there was an influx of offensive linemen lining up illegally and jumping the snap count without penalty. The NFL made an example out of the Ravens to eliminate what has become a trend. Baltimore must adapt to the changes and clean up mistakes.
Aside from the offense, the Raven’s defense was also called for a few too many penalties. Budding star defensive tackle Justin Madubuike was assessed a roughing the passer penalty that cost the team 15 yards. Safety Marcus Williams was called for an unnecessary roughness penalty when he attempted a low dive tackle while Patrick Mahomes was running out of bounds. Mahomes and Williams shared words after the flag. Lastly, linebacker Roquan Smith was assessed a horse-collar tackle penalty while chasing down Rashee Rice. These particular penalties are costly and will need to be addressed going forward.
2) Playcalling
The Ravens have a superstar in the backfield named Derrick Henry. In Week 1, Henry was underutilized. Now that Lamar Jackson has assistance in the rushing department, he should never run the ball more than the running back. In recent years, Jackson didn’t have an option. Now, Jackson has one of the most feared tailbacks in the league by his side. Although Jackson effectively ran the ball 16 times for 122 yards, Henry only had 13 rushes for 46 yards. Jackson can decide when he wants to run, but Henry’s lack of carries was directly tied to playcalling. Henry is a workhorse and should be treated as such.
In the passing game, wide receiver Zay Flowers should be more involved. Although Flowers is a smaller player, he isn’t the typical gadget guy. Flowers can run every route in the route tree and should be the first option. If tight end Isaiah Likely continues to shine, it will open up the field for Flowers and even Mark Andrews. With the right combination of play-calls, Baltimore could boast the best offense in the league by season’s end.
Main Image: Jeff Hanisch – USA Today Sports
