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OTL: The Bell Now Tolls

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Chiefs vs. Ravens

Chiefs v. Ravens

It’s bizarre that I selected a reference from a Hemingway novel for my headline on the day we have a good time the beginning of a brand new season by a crew named in deference to Edgar Allen Poe, however it’s apropos.

For all of the vitality invested in constructing this 12 months’s roster and training workers, to lengthy, scorching hours on the observe subject, to dialogue after dialogue over what went incorrect in final 12 months’s AFC Championship sport v. Chiefs, the time is right here. The bell rings. It’s time to place up or shut up for a brand new NFL season.

And the Ravens get the chance to take action on a nationwide stage, towards maybe the most-popular crew in American sports activities, with recollections of a listless playoff flop squarely in thoughts. No, this sport doesn’t change the end result of final 12 months’s convention title sport if the Ravens win. And, to be a bit of opposite to Hemingway’s message that demise comes for all of us, it doesn’t tank the season in the event that they lose an opener, particularly in nowadays of a 17-game slate.

Nevertheless it issues. This sport issues.

The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs are chasing historical past this season, and that pursuit begins tonight. They’re making an attempt to develop into the primary crew in NFL historical past to win three Tremendous Bowls in a row, and so they convey an historic quarterback, legendary tight finish, a head coach who figures to land on the Mt. Rushmore of head coaches someday and a fan who, fairly frankly, is likely to be essentially the most well-known girl on the planet. That doesn’t even embrace a stacked protection and a coordinator on that facet of the ball who has confirmed to be problematic to the Ravens’ offense.

However the Ravens present some complications, as effectively, and may have a special look than the one the Chiefs confronted in January. Pete Grathoff of the Kansas Metropolis Star shared some methods this Ravens crew has modified.

He started with an apparent one: new operating again Derrick Henry.

“Henry, 30, has rushed for 1,000 or extra yards in 5 of the previous six seasons,” wrote Grathoff. “He had 1,167 yards speeding a 12 months in the past on a league-most 280 carries. He has averaged 111.8 speeding yards per sport towards the Chiefs in 4 contests.”

One other point out by Grathoff is the Ravens having a wholesome Mark Andrews in tow this sport, one thing that wasn’t the case in final 12 months’s playoffs.

“Whereas tight finish Mark Andrews performed towards the Chiefs within the AFC title sport, he had simply two catches for 15 yards and was clearly not himself,” wrote Grathoff. And that issues.

The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec wrote in regards to the sport, and issues to search for. One factor he talked about is how a seasoned Chiefs crew appeared to get into the Ravens’ heads earlier than the sport even began.

“The Chiefs clearly believed they might get within the Ravens’ heads in January, and so they have been proper,” stated Zrebiec. “From Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce throwing Justin Tucker’s tools apart in pregame to Kelce baiting Kyle Van Noy into an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to L’Jarius Sneed drawing a taunting name on Zay Flowers, the Chiefs used their expertise and savviness to their full benefit. Tucker didn’t have a lot to say in regards to the incident with Kansas Metropolis’s largest stars this week, and the Ravens usually selected their phrases rigorously within the locker room. However they remembered how the Chiefs took them out of their sport. In what figures to be one other emotionally charged setting, the Ravens have been reminded to maintain their composure and keep away from ill-advised penalties.”

He additionally talked about a strategic factor to final 12 months’s sport by Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

“Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had numerous success in January in sending heavy blitzes at Lamar Jackson,” wrote Zrebiec. “Kansas Metropolis blitzed him on 44 p.c of his dropbacks. Ravens quarterbacks coach Tee Martin acknowledged that the Chiefs poked some holes within the crew’s safety schemes and compelled the teaching workers to make offseason changes. The Ravens additionally spent vital time in coaching camp working towards the blitz. We’ll see how a lot the crew has discovered, however Spagnuolo has been so profitable through the years in mixing issues up.”

The Solar’s Mike Preston penned a Q&A this week, and he was requested which place group, exterior the offensive line, involved him essentially the most heading into the season.

“Will probably be the sting rushers or exterior linebackers,” wrote Preston. “Neither Odafe Oweh nor David Ojabo are confirmed, and lately the Ravens have proven they’ll’t win with no sturdy go rush from the skin. Nnamdi Madubuike had a team-leading 13 sacks a 12 months in the past, in order that they’ll get good stress up the center. Outdoors linebacker Kyle Van Noy had 9 sacks final season, however he’ll need to play with out Jadeveon Clowney, who had 9 1/2 sacks however is now with the Carolina Panthers.”

Additionally of observe…

[Ravens at Chiefs: Bold Predictions]

 

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