Four Storylines for Ravens' Pivotal Matchup vs. Chiefs

Coming off an embarrassing loss in primetime, the Baltimore Ravens will be back on the road in Week 4 of the 2025 season. They will face the one team they have failed to consistently beat during the Lamar Jackson era, the Kansas City Chiefs. There are several intriguing storylines surrounding this massive matchup of two 1-2 teams desperately looking to get to .500. Here are the top four, to name a few:

How Will The Defense Bounce Back?

The Ravens played uncharacteristically and inexcusably poorly on this side of the ball last week against the Detroit Lions. They couldn't generate any semblance of a consistent pass rush and finished with no sacks. They also missed a whopping 20 tackles, which contributed to their being steamrolled on the ground, resulting in 224 rushing yards.

Going up against a middling Chiefs offense that has looked like a shell of itself and posted mediocre numbers through the first month of the season, this will be a get-right game for one of these two underwhelming units. Kansas City will likely try to copy and paste as much of Detroit's game plan as possible when it comes to attacking Baltimore's defense between the tackles on the ground with power backs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, as well as targeting future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce over the middle of the field in he passing game on key third downs. It's up to the Ravens to prove that they've remedied their mistakes and are finally able to start playing up to their talent at all three levels.

Future Hall of Fame Quarterbacks Face Off Again

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) looks to pass against Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56). — Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) looks to pass against Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

This week's matchup will mark the seventh career meeting between Jackson and fellow already all-time great, Patrick Mahomes, who is also a two-time league MVP and is 5-1 all-time against the Ravens. In their previous battles, even though the two star signal callers never take the field at the same time during the game, they are the ones pitted against each other whenever their teams square off. While Jackson has put up decent numbers against the Chiefs in the past, they are not nearly as prolific as the stats he puts up against the rest of the league.

In order to start to reverse his and the team's fortunes against the AFC's boogeyman and their all-world quarterback, neither of whom has looked especially impressive this year thus far, Jackson will need to play within himself. He'll have to stay composed and not press the issue because that has been what has doomed them several times in crucial situations versus this specific opponent since he notched his lone win against them in Week 2 of the 2021 season. Jackson is 0-3 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, but that could change this weekend if he continues to play at the MVP level he has shown this season with a league-high nine passing touchdowns to no interceptions and 118 rushing yards and a score.

Can Pass Protection Hold Up?

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) sacks Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) in Week 1 of 2024. — Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) sacks Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) causing a fumble during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Ravens' offensive line is coming off an outing where they had mixed results in pass blocking. While they didn't deserve to be charged with the majority of the 7 sacks the Lions notched against Jackson, they still allowed some pressures and sacks in key situations there they got beat around the edge and up the middle. They will be going up against a Chiefs pass rush that ranks in the middle of the pack or lower when it comes to sacks (7), pressures (19) and pressure rate (18.3%), but is led by six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones, who has a knack for making big plays in key situations.

The future Hall of Famer gave the Ravens' offensive line hell in last year's season opener, especially on the right side, where he got the better of tackle Roger Rosengarten and guard Daniel Faalele, both of whom are still the starters in those same spots, albeit with much more experience under their belts. Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will either move Jones around or let him make the decision himself to pick which side of the line or specific player to line up against in obvious passing situations. If Ravens two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley is out or limited, expect to see Jones take turns trying to probe for an advantage on either edge or A or B gap.

Will Derrick Henry and Run Game Finally Get Back on Track?

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) scores a touchdown against Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal (54). — Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) scores a touchdown as Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal (54) attempts the tackle during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

One of the best ways to mitigate or almost completely neutralize a pass rush is by establishing the ground game and staying in short-to-manageable down and distances where it's not obvious that passing the ball is the most likely option. After racking up 238 rushing yards in their season-opening collapse, the Ravens have been held to under 100 yards on the ground in back-to-back games for the first time with Jackson under center. Their offensive line was dominated a the point of attack in all but one drive against the Lions last week and for four all quarters against the Cleveland Browns the week prior.

Their inability to make and sustain blocks has not only stymied their rushing attack and made their offense reliant on big plays through the air to move the ball, it's had an adverse affect on five-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry. On both of his backbreaking fourth-quarter fumbles in the first three weeks, there was no hole or rush lane for him to hit, and a defender was able to make a great play and punch the ball out of his grasp behind the line of scrimmage. While ball security is ultimately up to the ball carrier, he is far too often getting met in the backfield my multiple defenders, which not only disrupts the flow of the offense as a whole but increases the likelihood of a negative play turning into a disaster.

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