Quote:
Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19
When the Ravens have the ball:
Spagnuolo is challenging his guys all week to step up against the NFL's #1 ranked rush offense and will scheme as such. The plan will be do everything humanly possible to keep down-and-distance in the Chiefs favor. Lamar has better weapons than he's ever had, but how many teams have 1) kept them out of consistent 2nd/3rd-and-shorts, or 2) boast the talent the Chiefs defense has?
The world will realize pretty quick how vulnerable that Ravens offensive line is in pass protection if Spags and the gang can just be certain to make them work for it. You can't let them run at you the way Buffalo did - you can't fear Lamar as a passer the same way Josh Allen warrants. You CHALLENGE him to win as a passer. If he does? Well that's what Jalen Hurts did to us last year. Still lost, but gave us the best chance to win the game because Spags knows that if we let Baltimore play on their terms, rushing relentlessly, it's over.
When the Chiefs have the ball:
Have to continue to commit to running the football, esp with power/gap schemes. Can you catch BAL in a bad look 2-3 times and let Pacheco take off for 25+ yards? I bet you can if you stick to it. Chiefs are on a heater these last few games of breaking off some explosives. And that's all you need. Can't expect 5.0 YPC consistently -- but you can break some big ones to keep their defense honest.
After that? We count on Mahomes. We count on Kelce against a defense that has let tight ends get the better of them plenty. A playbook that is expanding - no bullets will be withheld in this one. Continue to protect the tackles. Yes, they're playing well, but this won't be easy for them either. It's a great defense - play calls being on-point is a non-negotiable. If they aren't, Mahomes is gonna have to play hero ball all day. But this is the same staff that knew how to take advantage of Philly last year in the red zone, so I don't expect them to fail there.
As a whole, withstand the early energy. Place is gonna be a madhouse early on. Only the Chiefs have the power to zap that energy away and make it quiet.
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Agree with everything you said. Easier said than done, but don't let Lamar be a pure athlete in this game. Make him play left-handed. The more throws from the pocket and the more decisions he has to make in the passing game the better. I think the Bills knew they couldn't have any drive killing sacks and negative plays. Josh Allen did an incredible job staying ahead of the chains all game. It wasn't until the 4th quarter when Tranquill and McDuffie shot some running lanes on 1st down that we got them in some second and long scenarios. Lamar tends to depend on his athleticism to a fault and take some sacks and drive killing negative plays. Get them behind the sticks and the turnovers will come.