Originally Posted by duncan_idaho (Post 17366120)

Styles and matchups matter.

Yes, the Ravens have, over the course of the season, had success getting to the QB with just 4 pass rushers. In the aggregate.

That does not mean they will have success against the Chiefs' offensive line, which is one of the better pass blocking units in the NFL, and arguably the best - complete - pass blocking unit the Ravens have played (you could put the Lions ahead of them, probably, at full strength).

I hope the Ravens send their core 4 against the Chiefs and try to get home with 4 consistently. The Chiefs are better against that than most teams the Ravens have played or in the NFL period.

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho (Post 17366128)

It will be an interesting matchup, for sure. TEs have put up pretty good numbers against the Ravens defense despite the presence of Queen and Smith and Hamilton. What gives on that?

Hamilton might match up really well against Kelce. We'll find out tomorrow. KC is not above using Kelce as a decoy to create opportunities and big plays for other plays, like TE2 Noah Gray, or Rashee Rice, or for deep shots, or even for a RB on a screen.

Originally Posted by OneWinningDrive (Post 17366132)

Sure. None of us know what will happen. The point is just that the Ravens have shown better than any other team in the league that they can get home with four. Whether that actually happens against the team best at combating that is unknown. My original post wasn't a prediction as to what will or won't happen; I was just fact checking a poster who spams the same misinformation.

A larger point that here is that I think this Ravens team was constructed with the knowledge that the Ravens would likely need to go through the Chiefs at some point if they were to get to the Super Bowl. They fired Wink Martindale, whose calling card was to blitz and who failed against the Chiefs for that reason in the games people here love to cite. They built a d-line that gets pressure with four. And they drafted Kyle Hamilton to have a shot at containing Kelce.

You say that matchups matters, and I agree; the problem for the Chiefs is that the Ravens have been purpose built in certain ways to match up with the Chiefs.

Originally Posted by UChieffyBugger (Post 17366135)

People can talk about Kyle Hamilton and he is a good player but Kittle torched the Ravens and several TE's have put up good numbers. It's another area where that defense have issues if you look at the stats.

Originally Posted by Chris Meck (Post 17366138)

I'm sure what you're saying is correct. However, I'm just as sure that everyone in the AFC has been building their team to beat The Chiefs for years now.

Maybe you guys get it done. Maybe not. We'll see.

Originally Posted by OneWinningDrive (Post 17366132)

Sure. None of us know what will happen. The point is just that the Ravens have shown better than any other team in the league that they can get home with four. Whether that actually happens against the team best at combating that is unknown. My original post wasn't a prediction as to what will or won't happen; I was just fact checking a poster who spams the same misinformation.

A larger point that here is that I think this Ravens team was constructed with the knowledge that the Ravens would likely need to go through the Chiefs at some point if they were to get to the Super Bowl. They fired Wink Martindale, whose calling card was to blitz and who failed against the Chiefs for that reason in the games people here love to cite. They built a d-line that gets pressure with four. And they drafted Kyle Hamilton to have a shot at containing Kelce.

You say that matchups matters, and I agree; the problem for the Chiefs is that the Ravens have been purpose built in certain ways to match up with the Chiefs.

Originally Posted by UChieffyBugger (Post 17366090)

I don't know if anyone has seen the numbers but there is a CLEAR WEAKNESS in the Ravens defense that no-one is really talking about. And what is it you may ask?

QB RUNS!!

Cj Stroud= 4 carries, 20 yards, 5 yards per carry

DTR= 4 carries, 24 yards, 6 yards per carry

Pickett= 1 carry, 16 yards

Willis= 3 carries, 17 yards, 5.7 per carry

Dobbs= 6 carries, 26 yards, 4.3 yards per carry and a TD

Watson= 8 carries, 37 yards, 4.6 yards per carry

Browning= 4 carries, 40 yards, 10 yards per carry ( plus Burrow had one carry for 7 yards before getting hurt so it was 5 carries for 47 yards total in that game between the qb's)

Herbert= 4 carries, 47 yards, 11.8 yards per carry

Lawrence= 4 carries, 41 yards, 10.2 yards per carry

Darnald= 1 carry, 9 yards

Tua= 2 carries, 14 yards, 7 yards per carry

Obviously one scramble here and there can tilt the stats but look at those Browning, Herbert and Lawrence stats!!..and those are guys that are pocket passers mainly :eek: . I also remember watching that Browns game and Watson's runs late in the game to convert 3rd downs demoralised that defense.

Other than Dobbs and Watson Pat will be the BEST runner they have faced this year...FACT. Meanwhile the Chiefs have faced FIELDS, HURTS AND ALLEN (TWICE!!). We also saw Browning, Herbert and Lawrence like the Ravens. So in reality we've had plenty of reps against tough running QB's, and also the ones who gave the Ravens problems.

I honestly think Pat's runs could do a lot of damage tomorrow. Especially as Chris Simms already pointed out the Ravens DL haven't been great just rushing four. So they may need to send more guys which could open up rushing lanes.

And lastly all three of their loses were at home. Is it a coincidence that the four times teams put pressure on them in that building they lost three and was taken to OT in the other? We'll see.

Originally Posted by OneWinningDrive (Post 17366140)

Absolutely. I'm sure the other AFC West teams go into every draft thinking about which players will help them beat the Chiefs. It's a fact of life for them that they know they'll need to go through KC. I know that has happened in the AFC North with the other teams drafting to contain Lamar, which is why they tend to fare far better against the Ravens than the field.

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho (Post 17366144)

All well and good. Here's another key point that you probably don't want to consider if you are not a Chiefs fan:

The Ravens front is NOT as good at pressuring the QB with 4 than the Eagles front we saw last season. By a decent measure.

And the Chiefs OL, for all that the T have been maligned for their penalties, is BETTER at pass blocking than it was last year, because Taylor and Smith are better pass blockers as a duo than Orlando Brown and Andrew ****ing Wylie. In 2022, the Chiefs had to give help consistently to Wylie and Brown on pass sets. They often were running chips on both ends using a TE and a RB. This year, they have been more traditional and chipping a single side as needed, because both T are been able to hold up on an island against outside pass rushes.

Yes, the penalties have been an issue. Each has been pretty clean in that regard the past few weeks.

I think most AFC teams are building their squads with an eye on how to beat the Chiefs, and agree with you that the changes the Ravens have made give them a better matchup than they previously had.

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88 (Post 17366110)

The responses to that Tweet are great. LMAO

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Don’t throw him a party, he’ll drop it.</p>&mdash; EveryMorning Quarterback (@EMQpodcast) <a href="https://twitter.com/EMQpodcast/status/1751264004578722195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Originally Posted by OneWinningDrive (Post 17366132)

Sure. None of us know what will happen. The point is just that the Ravens have shown better than any other team in the league that they can get home with four. Whether that actually happens against the team best at combating that is unknown. My original post wasn't a prediction as to what will or won't happen; I was just fact checking a poster who spams the same misinformation.

A larger point that here is that I think this Ravens team was constructed with the knowledge that the Ravens would likely need to go through the Chiefs at some point if they were to get to the Super Bowl. They fired Wink Martindale, whose calling card was to blitz and who failed against the Chiefs for that reason in the games people here love to cite. They built a d-line that gets pressure with four. And they drafted Kyle Hamilton to have a shot at containing Kelce.

You say that matchups matters, and I agree; the problem for the Chiefs is that the Ravens have been purpose built in certain ways to match up with the Chiefs.

Originally Posted by OneWinningDrive (Post 17366116)

I wouldn't be concerned about Kelce being confused by the Ravens' scheme either. He's one of the smartest guys to ever play tight end.

I would be more worried about the existence of Kyle Hamilton. He was drafted in large part to be a guy who erases tight ends. Hamilton's role has expanded beyond that since then and he is usually asked to do more than just cover a tight end. But if in this game he is pretty much glued to Kelce's hip, Kelce doesn't have a mismatch like he usually does. Hamilton is as big, physical, and smart as any defensive back in the NFL.

Originally Posted by Chief_N_Bama (Post 17366152)

Wink consistently fielded elite defenses. Couldn’t beat the Chiefs. McDonald fields an elite defense and it’s automatically assumed that he will? Because a second year coordinator is gonna throw looks at Mahomes he’s never seen before?

It’s amazing how much credit ravens get for things they haven’t accomplished yet.