What’s really on the line for Chiefs and Ravens in Week 3?

Will the Chiefs still be the team to beat?

Simply put, if the Kansas City Chiefs win this game they will continue to be the team to beat in all the NFL. While other teams will also be undefeated and off to great starts, the Chiefs will be the defending Super Bowl champions with a head to head win over the team many feel is the second best in the NFL. Basically, if the Chiefs win they are who most of us thought they were.

A loss for the Chiefs would change that slightly. While I do think there is plenty of time for the Chiefs to overcome a loss to the Ravens and a KC loss certainly wouldn’t come with the same stigma as a Ravens loss would based on past matchups, it would raise a few questions about where this team is at right now. Just last week I wrote that the Chiefs were going to have to play better than they had in the first two weeks in order to beat the Ravens in this game.

The Chiefs started the season with a win where they basically just went through the motions against the Houston Texans. Then last week they won an ugly overtime game against the Los Angeles Chargers where they basically played terrible for three quarters and then pulled out some magic down the stretch. It’s great that the Chiefs are a talented enough team to win those games despite not having what most would call a great game. However, if you follow those games up with a loss to a fellow conference power, the question becomes when will we see the Chiefs at their best?

Ultimately, the Chiefs just need to make it into the playoffs and then as long as they play well they have a chance. However, the path to a second straight Super Bowl would certainly be easier if it could go through Arrowhead Stadium. If you’re three games into the season and haven’t played a great game yet and are already a game back of the other good teams in the AFC including a head to head loss against the Ravens, the mindset suddenly shifts from that of the clear best team in the NFL to a team that desperately needs to beat the New England Patriots next week if they want to keep any kind of favorite status.

While there is no such thing as a must-win game in September in the NFL, this is certainly the biggest game of the season so far. The Ravens are trying to prove to everyone, including themselves, that they are a true threat to the Chiefs for both the top spot in the AFC and all the NFL. The Chiefs are trying to prove that they are the clear favorite and team to beat in all the NFL as opposed to just one of several teams trying to fight their way out of the AFC.

I, for one, can’t wait to see how things turn out.