Lamar Jackson looks to continue hot start against Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday and I spoke with Richie Bradshaw of Ravens site Ebony Bird to get some inside info on what to expect.

On Sunday the Kansas City Chiefs will be hosting a very anticipated rematch against the ascending Baltimore Ravens. This was one of the biggest nail-biters of last season, and is unlikely to disappoint the second time around.

I caught up with Richie Bradshaw over at FanSided Ravens site Ebony Bird to get his thoughts on five questions including Lamar Jackson’s hot start and the changes on a vaunted Baltimore defensive unit.

What the sentiment is around the fanbase about the loss of some stalwarts on defense like Suggs and Mosley?

There’s little doubt how difficult it is to overcome losses of players of their capability. CJ Mosley and Terrell Suggs were undeniably great players, with the latter being a Hall of Famer. The production they gave is replaceable, however. Baltimore has done a good job of reloading the defense even without those same stalwarts. Nonetheless, it sucks as a fan to lose those guys!

What are the expectations for the defense this season?

The defense had a rough outing last week against the Cardinals and Kyler Murray, particularly in the fourth quarter. This week, the pass defense really needs to step up or the Ravens are in trouble. The spotlight will be on cornerback Anthony Averett once again this week as he looks to bounce back from a so so game last week. There’s hope that the edge rusher‘s such as Tim Williams and Jaylon Ferguson can also be factors this week. Lord knows we need defense in the worst way going against the Chiefs and their offense.

What’s the sentiment around Lamar Jackson’s hot start and do you think he can maintain the production for most of the year?

Ravens Flock is LOVING IT.  What Jackson has been able to do is absolutely remarkable. To see him pass the ball as well as he has has been a sight for sore eyes. Against the Cardinals he reminded us how good he is as a runner. I have a feeling he can continue doing some damage against Chiefs this week. While there’s no doubt he’ll slow down a bit, I do believe that he’s begun to arrive in the NFL.

What are the expectations for the offense this season?

We all know who Marquise Brown is at this point. Make sure you look out for receiver Miles Boykin as well. Boykin was a rookie third round pick from Notre Dame who’s big body and frame will allow him to be a terrific pass catcher. Mark Andrews’ partner in crime, tight end Hayden Hurst, will also be a big factor this week. The two are dynamic tight end combo for Baltimore and I expect that to continue.

What are your overall expectations for the game on Sunday?

The offensive line will have a big challenge against Frank Clark and Chris Jones. They will be the biggest dictators for whether or not Baltimore’s offense can get rolling early. If they can do their job, the Ravens can easily hang in there with the Chiefs thanks to this new offense.

This will be one of the best games of the young season and should put the victor on a trajectory for home field advantage throughout the playoffs.