3 things the Chiefs must do to defeat the Ravens in Week 1

Here's how the Chiefs can hang a banner, beat a conference rival, and potentially lock a higher seed all in one night.

The first game of the season is always the most difficult to watch as a fan. Expectations are high while new offseason additions have to prove themselves. The result of the game can send fan bases spiraling into doomsday predictions or lifting them toward fantasies of Super Bowl glory.

The hopes and dreams of Baltimore Ravens fans all across the country hinge on the result of the upcoming matchup between their team and the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. After losing to the Chiefs in January, the Ravens have had a tumultuous offseason. Losing two above-average offensive linemen, spending over $15 million per year on a running back with over 2,000 career carries, and watching two of their best defensive backs walk in free agency have left many fans of the franchise in doubt about the trajectory of their favorite team.

A win for the Chiefs in Week 1 would not only give the team confidence going into one of the most important seasons in NFL history, but it would also shut the door on any hopes of an AFC Conference title game rematch for Baltimore. Let's look at what the Chiefs need to do in order to ruin the aspirations of Ravens fans everywhere.

The Chiefs must control the line of scrimmage

Andy Reid's offense is predicated on controlling the line of scrimmage and giving quarterback Patrick Mahomes time in the pocket to make decisions. Mahomes does a fantastic job at making his offensive lineman right (based on where and how they block) using his awareness in the pocket. However, the OL cannot affect the game as much as they did in 2023.

Not only did right tackle Jawaan Taylor lead the NFL in offensive line penalties last year with 19 (7 more than the nearest offender), but right guard Trey Smith cracked the top 15 with 9. Rookie left tackle Kinsley Suamataia was very raw coming into the 2024 NFL draft, and will most likely deal with a learning curve for the better part of the season.

Having a dynamic duo of offensive linemen whose superpowers are limited to committing offensive holding and false start penalties cannot determine the success of the offense in 2024. The talent along the offense line has the potential to become the best in football. It's time we start seeing that potential turn into production.

On the other side of the ball, the Ravens have lost two major pieces along their offensive line coming out of the 2024 offseason: Pro Bowl right guard Kevin Zeitler and left guard John Simpson. Not only that, but one of the best offensive line coaches in the league, Joe D'Alessandris, unfortunately, passed away in August. Combine that with the Chiefs, who have the 6th highest average per year cap hit on their defensive line, and we should see a huge game from a pass-rushing standpoint.

Lamar Jackson also has a very difficult time playing against the Chiefs, averaging only 50 rushing yards per game. For the Chiefs to have continued success against the Ravens, they must remove what makes Lamar one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history: his run game. It starts with controlling the line of scrimmage, suffocating the gaps, and stuffing the run.

Chiefs must attack downfield

After the offseason addition of wide receiver Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs' offense cannot be as dependent on the "dink and dunk" pass as it was in 2023. With an average depth of target of 6.9 yards, Mahomes ranked dead last in the NFL in 2023. This caused the Chiefs' offense to struggle significantly when trying to move the ball down the field and put themselves in scoring position.

Worthy (and a completely revamped wide receiver core) will completely change the look of the Chiefs' offense in 2024. Worthy's speed alone should be enough to scare defenses into playing 2-high (2 safeties deep instead of 1), but if it isn't, the offense should take full advantage.

Most passing concepts used by head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy involved 1 of 3 things: getting wide receiver Rashee Rice the ball underneath where he could use his athleticism to gain easy yardage, getting tight end Travis Kelce alone on one side of the formation and letting him work to get open, and/or running in-breaking routes to receivers like Skyy Moore that inevitably lead to interceptions/dropped passes. Xavier Worthy's skillset allows Mahomes to take more shots deep downfield.

If the Chiefs decide to utilize their new weapon and give him targets deep downfield, guys like Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, and running back Isiah Pacheco will become more efficient and turn the Chiefs' offense into the strength of the team once again.

Chiefs must communicate well on defense

The Chiefs' defense promoted a significant portion of their depth over the 2024 offseason. Defensive backs Nazeeh Johnson, Jaylen Watson, and Chamarri Conner are going to see significant snap increases. Couple that with new additions like safety Jaden Hicks and defensive end Cam Thomas and you have a recipe for regression as a unit.

This is not the same defense that was on the field in 2023; one that could shut down superb NFL playoff-caliber offenses. However, they don't need to be. The offense is poised to take a step forward in 2024, and while the defense's young talent should step up, broken plays cannot become an issue for them as they grow.

Defenses in past years have had communication problems stemming from new/inexperienced (with the Steve Spagnuolo defense) players not knowing their responsibilities. The best example comes from the Chiefs' first Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers, where defensive backs Bashaud Breeland and Tyrann Mathieu had an early game miscommunication on who to cover, leading to a 30-yard gain.

Breeland had been on the defense for a year and a miscommunication still led to a defensive breakdown in the season's biggest game. That cannot happen in Week 1, especially when the Chiefs offense still has to get its legs underneath them.

Trent McDuffie has the intangibles necessary to lead a defense that just lost one of their best chess pieces in free agency. Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson have experience in Spags' defense and can help when new players take the field, but they do not possess the cache or talent required to be the "leader of the secondary." Nick Bolton (ILB), Justin Reid (S), and Chris Jones (DT) all have their roles to play as well.

When setting up the defense, these guys will have to be the ones to take charge and enforce the rules for the defense that Spags has already put in place. No doubt they are capable of getting the job done, but it's imperative that it can't go unchecked on game day.