After the Chiefs nail-biting win versus the Chargers, should fans be worried about the Chiefs heading into next when they face off against the Baltimore Ravens?
Hello again everyone and welcome to another week of the ArrowChop! This is the column where we look at the positives/negatives of a certain Chiefs/NFL issue and look at both sides of the aisle. Then you, the readers, will come to your conclusions after I lay out the case. So sit back, relax, and enjoy as we breakdown this week’s hot topic.
While the Chiefs were able to come back and pull off an overtime win against the Chargers, it was still a terrible game. Herbert shouldn’t have thrown for over 300 yards in his first game, the Chiefs defense should’ve been able to at least know how to tackle, the game shouldn’t have been decided in overtime, and so on. It was an atrocious showing on both sides of the ball even though some players played well when it mattered the most.
The Chiefs are facing the Ravens next week. The Ravens have blown out the two teams they’ve faced, have the reigning league MVP, feature an explosive defense that causes trouble for anyone, and more. It’s going to be a tough game to win for Mahomes and co. as both of these teams are contenders for the AFC crown and the Super Bowl. With what we have seen last Sunday, should we, the fans, be concerned about next week’s game versus the Ravens? Let’s dissect both sides of the case to see which one holds true.
There is a cause for concern
Firstly, the Chiefs barely have any cornerback depth. Let’s look down the list of corners that are injured on the Chiefs’ depth chart: Bashaud Breeland is out due to a suspension over the offseason, Charvarius Ward is out due to a fractured hand, Alex Brown is on injured reserve due a torn ACL he suffered in practice, and Antonio Hamilton injured his groin in Sunday’s game. We don’t have a timetable yet for Hamilton’s return per Andy Reid. All the Chiefs have left are L’Jarius Sneed (who has played extremely well), Rashad Fenton, and Bopete Keyes along with some safeties playing out of position. This is not good in a normal situation, much less against a team that can throw the pigskin effectively.
Secondly, the offensive line had too many penalties/errors that almost cost them a loss. Thanks to holding calls by Andrew Wylie and Kelechi Osemele on the final drive of regulation, it (possibly) cost the Chiefs a game-winning touchdown in the redzone. Let’s also not forget about the multiple false start calls throughout the game and that they were overwhelmed by a four-man rush for a majority of the game. The offensive line will have to improve drastically over practice this week or players like Patrick Queen, Calais Campbell, and Tyus Bowser will eat Mahomes alive.
Finally, the Chiefs’ defense had too many missed tackles. The number of times that someone was “supposed” to be tackled and wasn’t and the times that it took three players to tackle one opposing player was astronomical. Lamar Jackson, who is known for using his legs to gain motherloads of yards, will be hunting and retiring players’ ankles easier than the multiple time he has done so beforehand. They will be in for a lengthy game unless they step up!
There is no cause for concern
Firstly, the Chiefs’ offense has shredded the Ravens defense in the past. Last season when the Chiefs defeated the Ravens 33-28, Mahomes lit up the Ravens with 374 passing yards and 3 touchdowns, with a 72% completion percentage. The Chiefs also had over 100+ yards rushing against that defense. If you didn’t know, the Ravens have had one of the best defenses in the league for the past two seasons, and this shows that the Chiefs are one of the only teams that can give the Ravens a run for their money.
Secondly, we will be gaining an essential player to the defensive front: Mike Pennel. Pennel was suspended for the first two games of the season due to substance abuse and he’ll be making his season debut next week. He was a direct correlation to why the Chiefs rush defense improved and general manager, Brett Veach, was open to re-signing him. The defensive front has now improved thanks to his return.
Finally, fans must remember that the Chiefs are still one of the best teams in the league. On the offensive side, Mahomes proved that he is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Kelce and Hill breached 90 yards in the receiving column along with a touchdown each, Edwards-Helaire demonstrated that he can be a threat in the receiving core (even with the catch that was called back due to a holding call), and so on. On the defensive side, Sneed showed strides of greatness, Jones confirmed that he’s still as dominant as he has always been, Mathieu proved that he’s one of the more vital assets of the defense, etc.
If you know the Chiefs, as well as I do, they’ll fix everything they did horribly last time and make the proper adjustments needed. Trust Andy Reid, trust the coaching staff, and, most importantly, trust the players on the roster. They’ll #runitback for sure!
Overall, that’s the case for if fans should be worried about the Chiefs heading into Week 3 against the Ravens. What are your thoughts on this? Leave a comment down below to join the discussion.
Thanks for reading and have a pleasant day!
