The Baltimore Ravens have a tough task ahead of them, traveling to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3. But with both the Ravens and Chiefs sitting at the top of the AFC right now, a win could be monumental when figuring out tiebreakers for the postseason.
In order to pull out a win, Baltimore will rely on these four players specifically. They’re the four Ravens to watch in Week 3 vs. the Chiefs.
S, Earl Thomas
Thomas has been just as brilliant as expected since joining Baltimore. But Week 2’s communication issues clearly upset him. Thomas came out this week and vowed to stop big plays personally, and when Thomas says something like that, you should probably believe him.
He and the rest of the Ravens’ secondary will have a tough matchup this week though. Patrick Mahomes has been on fire and leads the league in big throws, hitting on seven 40-plus yard throws. With cornerback Jimmy Smith out again, the secondary will still be full of the same young talent that had the issues last week. Thomas not only needs to do his part, he needs to have coached up those around him this week so we don’t see the same results.
QB, Lamar Jackson
Jackson essentially carried the offense last week, stepping up to make some big throws at crucial times and leading the team in rushing yards. Though Kansas City’s secondary has been far from perfect, they’re the best unit the Ravens have seen so far. Considering the Chiefs’ offense has been fantastic and Baltimore’s defense had issues last week, Jackson very well might have to outduel Mahomes this week.
Jackson left points on the board last week, slipping up on his mechanics a bit and missing some big throws, including a sure touchdown to tight end Mark Andrews. He’ll have to really focus on those mechanics this week since Kansas City has two weeks of film on him to gameplan against.
OLB Matthew Judon
Judon has stepped up his game this season, something he had to do entering a contract year. He leads the team in sacks (2) and quarterback hits (5). More importantly, he’s been consistent over two games. But this is where big pass rushers step up even further and take over games.
Judon will have a golden opportunity against Kansas City’s beat-up offensive line that has left tackle Eric Fisher out, along with Mahomes dealing with an ankle injury. But Judon will have to apply quick pressure on Mahomes so the Chiefs can’t let deep plays develop, taking away Kansas City’s biggest weapons from the start. Even if Judon doesn’t notch a bunch of sacks, getting in Mahomes’ face frequently will force the Chiefs’ offense to switch to a quick-pass scheme that plays into Baltimore’s speed and aggression on defense.
S, Tony Jefferson
The Ravens have one of the hardest matchups to deal with in tight end Travis Kelce. Over two career games against Baltimore, Kelce has caught 13 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. While the Ravens will likely double up on Kelce up the seam, it’s Jefferson that will draw the responsibility of ensuring he doesn’t beat them for big plays.
Jefferson has been playing an enforcer role in the secondary this year with Thomas taking on the more traditional free safety job. Jefferson will have to make Kelce pay for every single pass he hauls in, hopefully forcing him to keep an eye upfield instead of on the ball later in the game. But Jefferson will also have to cover him tight and pretend he doesn’t have any help underneath from a linebacker. Those transition points, as one player drops out of coverage and another joins, are where an All-Pro tight end like Kelce makes his money — getting big completions that can turn into more if a defender doesn’t secure the tackle.
If Kelce is quiet, it’s likely going to be because Jefferson did a phenomenal job.
