On Saturday, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs face the Baltimore Ravens. We welcome three contributors from Baltimore Beatdown — our sister SB Nation web site protecting the Ravens — for 5 Questions with the Enemy.
1. With the Ravens now sitting at 1-2, how are followers reacting? Do you sense any degree of panic?
The cruel fact is there’s a ton of panic within the fanbase. It’s much less in regards to the report; they’ve right here loads of instances. Somewhat, it’s extra in regards to the preseason roster development fears. The weakest a part of the staff moving into was the shortage of depth on the line of defense and the troubles about guard play on the offensive line. Each fears have been realized.
It’s solely Week 4 and the defensive deal with room has been obliterated already. Nnamdi Madubuike, the staff’s greatest go rusher, is out indefinitely with a neck damage no one appears to know something about. Travis Jones and Broderick Washington have missed practices this week. The staff added two extra tackles to the observe squad, not instilling confidence that guys are going to be wholesome within the brief or long run.
[Since this was written, the Ravens made several roster moves, placing Madubuike and Washington on their Reserve/Injured list, activating practice squad defensive lineman Brent Urban and tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden to the roster and elevating practice squad defensive tackles C.J. Okoye and Josh Tupou for Sunday’s game.]
The guard play additionally appears to be the most important limiter on what might realistically be one of the best offense within the league. I’m undecided it’ll cease the staff placing up factors, because the league noticed nationwide on Monday. However the fear about Lamar Jackson’s well being is plentiful, particularly while you have a look at what’s occurred with division rival Joe Burrow.
The staff very nicely might proper the ship and get again on observe. The Ravens had been 2-2 in 2019, 3-2 in 2023 (with huge questions) and 1-2 in 2024. They’ll in all probability make the playoffs. However panic about future playoff disappointment is difficult to keep away from proper now.
2. Derrick Henry has fumbled in each sport to this point — twice in essential moments. Do you see him turning into a legal responsibility, or is that this one thing he can right?
It’s onerous to think about Derrick Henry’s ball safety points being a long-term legal responsibility for the Ravens.
First, the numbers. Henry has fumbled 3 times on 41 carries (7.3% fumble price) this yr, the identical quantity he had on his earlier 605 carries throughout 2023 and 2024. That’s an 0.5% fumble price within the final two years, barely decrease than his 0.85% profession mark coming into the 2025 season.
Second, the performs. Two of Henry’s fumbles had been compelled by elite defensive performs (Payments DT Ed Oliver, Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson). He might have coated up higher in opposition to Oliver, and definitely in opposition to Browns CB Cam Mitchell in Week 2. Towards Hutchinson, although, there might not have been something he might have finished.
Third, the participant. Between his distraught reactions through the sport and feedback after, Henry has clearly taken the fumbles personally. He talked this week about his embarrassment to be having this problem and the method changes he’s adopted this week. It will be a shock if one of many league’s most devoted, fastidious gamers continued to drop the ball.
3. The Ravens have allowed 32 factors per sport. What have been the most important defensive points?
It’s onerous to pinpoint, as they appear to differ from week to week. In Week 1 in opposition to the Payments, the go rush did a poor job of containing Josh Allen, whereas the secondary — notably cornerback Jaire Alexander — allowed a number of huge performs down the sector. In Week 3 in opposition to the Lions, the go rush appeared non-existent — failing to sack Goff even as soon as — whereas the run protection fully fell aside. It appears like a sport of whack-a-mole with Baltimore’s protection in the intervening time.
For my part, the basis of all these points has been a lackluster entrance seven. If defensive deal with Madubuike is unable to return anytime quickly, the Ravens’ go rush and run protection will proceed to be a crippling problem in opposition to different contending groups.
4. If Baltimore loses this week, might head coach John Harbaugh’s job safety come into query?
It’s simply not how the Ravens’ organizations runs issues. A mid-season firing would go in opposition to all historic knowledge on the best way they function. 1-3 isn’t going to alter that. The Ravens must go winless for a number of weeks in a row and/or miss the playoffs for Harbaugh’s job to really be in jeopardy. And even with all that, it will nonetheless be an offseason firing — if I needed to guess. The Ravens’ group not often makes impulsive strikes and usually takes weeks or months to finalize huge choices like this.
5. Lamar Jackson is 1-4 in his profession in opposition to Patrick Mahomes — and hasn’t gained since 2021. What does Jackson must do to get the higher hand?
Kansas Metropolis’s protection has given Jackson hassle all through his profession. It has largely compelled him to dink-and-dunk his manner down the sector, which is hardly his most well-liked model of play. That emphasis on downfield protection has allowed Jackson to rack up yards on the bottom in opposition to the Chiefs, and he should be prepared to take action once more on Sunday.
A key issue will probably be his decisiveness and pre-snap changes. He seemed uncomfortable within the pocket at instances in Week 3 and the Lions’ use of a spy restricted his scrambling alternatives. If the Chiefs use the identical technique, Jackson must determine the spy pre-snap and search for alternatives for fast, in-rhythm completions.
Greater than something, he wants to take care of his composure and keep away from attempting to be the hero. That doesn’t imply throw the ball away on scrambles – Jackson is the league’s foremost magician on prolonged performs – however he has to deal with ball safety when passing and operating. Avoiding a late, back-breaking turnover will probably be essential to overcoming the Chiefs in what needs to be a decent sport.
Be sure you take a look at the solutions I gave to their questions by clicking right here.
