Nine things every fan should know about the Chiefs and Ravens
The Ravens scheme is old school
A lot has been made of this Ravens offense last season and now this season. For years, the NFL has been moving in a direction that favors pocket passers. From the rules against hitting a quarterback in the pocket to the rules against defensive backs getting physical with receivers, throwing the ball is a cushier gig than it ever has been.
Enter Lamar Jackson, a quarterback who’s game is incredibly dependent on his mobility. Yes, he seems to have made some improvements in the passing game, but can he keep up the pace he set in the first two games for a full 16 game season? Especially, considering the teams he’ll play in the next several weeks are on another level than the Dolphins and Cardinals.
In the end, Lamar Jackson was seemingly drafted and Joe Flacco was jettisoned because John Harbaugh is banking on winning with defense and the run game. It is the core of the team’s philosophy and likely will be for the foreseeable future. For instance, in the first two games this season, the Ravens ran the ball 56 percent of the time and threw the ball 44 percent of the time. Compare that to the Chiefs, who ran the ball 38 percent of the time and threw the ball 62 percent of the time and you see my point.
It would seem Harbaugh believes that winning by getting a prolific passing quarterback is more challenging than getting a dual threat quarterback who is serviceable in the passing game and building a great defense. It’s hard to argue with that logic seeing all the quarterbacks drafted highly who become busts.
The question isn’t just about winning but whether this old-school strategy in the new school NFL will allow them to compete consistently with prolific passing teams and win a Super Bowl. Only time will tell.
Hollywood Brown could be the NFL’s next great receiver
One of the main factors that seems to have transformed this offense is the addition of the teams 2019 first round draft pick Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. Brown was an absolute stud at the University of Oklahoma, playing with a bevy of NFL talent against some of the nation’s best teams. He looked to be a surefire first round pick, until having Lisfranc surgery this past offseason.
Brown is a receiver who, at a height of only 5’9″ and a weight of only 166 pounds, relies completely on his speed and quickness. With this in mind, the Lisfranc injury was a significant question and pushed Brown from the top half of the first round to the bottom half of the first round. While all reports were that the surgery was a success, complications with these type of injuries can always occur down the road and there was question how this would affect his speed in pads.
If the first two games are any indication, Brown looks to be a great add to this offense. He gives Lamar Jackson a true deep threat who can consistently gain separation. Has he had a couple good games or is he another on the list of dynamic speedsters in the AFC the Chiefs will struggle to cover?