Chiefs vs. Ravens: Looking at key changes to Baltimore’s defense

Departure – Earl Thomas

Earl Thomas was supposed to be a Kansas City Chief, expected to sign a one-year deal with the team during the 2019 offseason, until the Ravens swooped in at the 11th hour with a multi-year deal. As one of the more gifted ballhawks at the safety position over the last decade, he gave the Ravens great flexibility with the back end of their defense.

Enter 2020. After some bizarre events during the offseason coupled with an outburst in training camp, the Ravens decided it was better to eat Thomas’ dead cap than continue with him on the roster.

While Thomas had regressed from his All-Pro peak, he was still an excellent safety that made it more difficult for teams like the Chiefs to attack the Ravens down the field. In his place stands rookie sixth-round pick Deshon Elliot, and I’d expect the Chiefs offense to test him early and often.

Conclusion

While there are several new starters on the Ravens defense, and one very notable departure, they have maintained their trademark quality as a unit. Through two contests they rank third in total yards allowed with only 305 per game and first in points allowed with 11 per game.

It’s true, their competition through two games has been minimal. The Browns have yet to beat a good team in years, let alone play one competitively, and the Chiefs beat the Texans with even more luster before a couple garbage time touchdowns. Even so, the Ravens defensive efficiency is near the top of the league when factoring in opponents.

Monday night’s game will either be a christening of the reigning Super Bowl champions as favorites for Super Bowl LV or a moment to step back and evaluate the gap to close between contender and repeat champion.