Chiefs vs. Ravens: AA writers are mixed on predictions for Week 3
By Drew Brooks
After two weeks of consensus, our latest writer predictions don’t agree on who will win the Week 3 Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens game.
After back-to-back strong performances against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders, the Chiefs will face their toughest opponent yet: the Baltimore Ravens. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has started the season right where he left off, already passing for 821 yards and 7 touchdowns.
But Mahomes isn’t the only one with a hot hand to start the season. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has thrown for 596 yards and 7 touchdowns as well as rushed for 126 yards. Granted, the Ravens have faced the NFL’s bottom two defenses in the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals.
Despite the ease of opponents, the Ravens are still the Chiefs’ toughest opponents thus far and are not a team to overlook. They boast the NFL’s second-best defense and have the offensive weapons to give the Chiefs trouble.
Both teams are facing significant injuries. The Chiefs will be without left tackle Eric Fisher, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, and potentially running back Damien Williams. The Ravens, meanwhile, will be without cornerback Jimmy Smith.
The Chiefs have performed just fine without Tyreek Hill in the last two weeks and shouldn’t have a huge problem with Fisher out, but Damien Williams‘ absence might be significant. Running back LeSean McCoy is also banged up with a knee injury, meaning rookie running back Darwin Thompson might be expected to handle significant time in the backfield.
While Thompson has a lot of hype surrounding him, he still needs time to learn and improve as his blocking leaves much to be desired. The good news for the Chiefs is the fact that cornerback Jimmy Smith will not be playing for the Ravens, which will make Mahomes’ job that much easier.
Ultimately, the Chiefs are facing a very tough matchup against the Ravens and our writer predictions reflect this. Our writers couldn’t agree on who would win this match. Here’s what they have to say:
Drew Brooks: Chiefs 26, Ravens 27
I think the Ravens will give the Chiefs an incredibly tough time. The Ravens will bottle up the Chiefs’ run game which will force Mahomes to throw more. While I have confidence in Mahomes, I think the Chiefs will end up kicking a lot more field goals and only score two touchdowns. I feel like we’re in for a heartbreaking Justin Tucker field goal as time runs out.
Matt Conner: Chiefs 30, Ravens 20
I don’t think this is going to be nearly as competitive as folks might think. The Ravens surprised the Chiefs with a nailbiter near the end of last season, but this is the game that Spags defense turns the corner and becomes a real positive talking point. Patrick Mahomes and company will get their requisite points, but they won’t feel as pressured as the Chiefs make Lamar Jackson look human again.
Jalon Dodson: Chiefs 31, Ravens 14
Why has Baltimore seen so much success the past two weeks? It’s simple: easy opponents. Facing a tough road matchup against the Chiefs, the Ravens will get a slice of humble pie. Lamar Jackson will have a decent game, but it won’t be enough.
Lyle Graversen: Chiefs 27, Ravens 30
I REALLY hope I’m wrong, but I have a bad feeling about this game. The Ravens were one of the few teams that slowed down the Chiefs offense last season and that was with Tyreek Hill and a better rushing attack than what we’ve seen so far this season AND now the Ravens offense looks much improved. I think the Ravens might surprise here and give K.C. one of what will be only a handful of losses this season.
Jacob Harris: Chiefs 37, Ravens 30
This will be a close-scoring game, but the Chiefs will never lose control of it. Ravens offense tests the defense and proves they still have a long way to go.
Scott Loring: Chiefs 20, Ravens 22
The Ravens pose the biggest early-season test for the Chiefs. In fact I don’t think Kansas City will face a tougher foe until Week 14 at New England. As much as we want the fairy tale to continue, the injuries on offense have made Kansas City a little too one-dimensional. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and running backs Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy are all dinged up. The Chiefs struggled mightily on the ground at Oakland, and things will not get any easier against the Baltimore front seven. K.C. will score its fewest points of the Mahomes era, and Baltimore will find creative ways to move the ball enough to get the job done. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker breaks the hearts of Chiefs fans with a late boomer and the Ravens exact revenge for their 2018 loss at Kansas City.
Bonus prediction: The Chiefs will get their chance against the Ravens again, at Arrowhead, in the playoffs.
Jordan Mannix: Chiefs 35, Ravens 24
The Chiefs have already played a talented defense and destroyed them, and the Chiefs defense is actually starting to show improvements. I expect both for opening day at Arrowhead. Lamar Jackson will take a back seat to the reigning MVP on Sunday.
Ellen Mathis: Ravens 32, Chiefs 28
This will undoubtedly be one of the toughest games the Chiefs play this season. Last year, these teams went into overtime and it looks like the Ravens are clicking on all cylinders on offense. Most notable is the fact that they match up well against the Chiefs defense which still has questions. That being said, it is also the Chiefs home opener. I expect this one to come down to the final minutes, just like last year, but this time will ultimately end in a loss due to the defense having some miscues because of the new scheme. These hiccups come but this will be a gut punch that will force Spags’ unit to be better.
Byron Smith: Chiefs 49, Ravens 21
Going into this season, everyone questioned if Lamar Jackson could stay healthy enough to keep winning. Although his performance so far has shut the doubters up, this game is where that concern should take shape again as he has to get past linemen like Frank Clark and Chris Jones. This defense is starting to click and cause problems for offenses, so I expect Lamar Jackson to be extremely uncomfortable in the pocket and try to rely on his feet to pick up the slack. Once he gets hit a couple times by the Honey Badger, he’s gonna try throwing again and go down for 6 sacks and put up 3 interceptions.
Grant Tuttle: Chiefs 31, Ravens 24
I think the Ravens are a tough team. While I don’t really expect the Ravens to beat up on the Chiefs defensively, Lamar Jackson could end up with a bunch of yards. Ultimately, the Chiefs win it because Mahomes shines against a stacked Ravens defense.
Farzin Vousoughian: Chiefs 34, Ravens 24
Even though the Ravens defense challenged the Chiefs last year, the Chiefs still overcame adversity in that game and got the win. Mahomes is already playing better. K.C.’s defense has played very well in the second half of games this year, both on the road. Even with the rain, I think Kansas City will do some good things on both sides.