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OTL: Waiting All Week for Thursday Night

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Roquan Smith Patrick Mahomes OTL

Thursday marks the beginning of a new season for the Baltimore Ravens. Twenty-eight years ago on Sunday, the Ravens battled on the gridiron for the first time. They won in the historic and missed Memorial Stadium, in a tough one against the Oakland Raiders. The 19-14 victory was a fitting way to start the legacy of tough and gritty Ravens football.

The last time the Ravens played the Chiefs is a day we don’t want to remember. I get it. But the Ravens didn’t have Derrick Henry in that game. Henry has a habit of showing off his talent against the Chiefs. Henry’s comments to the media show that he’s ready for the challenge of Arrowhead Stadium.

Henry is the most exciting change for the Ravens. He is a confident running back who has seen everything in the NFL. His energy gives the new season an extra burst of confidence. The Ravens will need him to be a difference-maker on Thursday.

The players on offense make the most headlines, but the defenses are going to tell the story of the kickoff game. Warren Sharp gave some very interesting bullet points on Sharp Football Analysis that indicates how much the two defenses will factor into the result.

  • “The Chiefs (28.5%) and Ravens (28.7%) ranked second and third in the NFL last season in scoring rate allowed per drive.
  • The Chiefs (2.9) and Ravens (3.2) were first and second in the NFL in scoring plays allowed per game on defense in 2023.
  • Baltimore and Kansas City tied for allowing a league-low 4 touchdowns outside the red zone in 2023.
  • The Ravens allowed a league-low 4.7 yards per passing play in 2023.
  • The Chiefs allowed 4.9 yards per passing play last season, third in the league.
  • Kansas City allowed 2.7 plays per game of 20 or more yards, the fewest in the league last season.”

The Ravens lost the AFC Championship game 17-10. It was an ugly game with huge plays scattered here and there. This is something to think about going into the game. It won’t be a game for the weak of heart. Winning in Kansas City is tough. The big takeaway is that every point has to be earned and nothing can be taken for granted. This game may be sold as a battle between two MVP quarterbacks, but the play of the defenses will be the most important factor.

In his article for Sports Illustrated, Joe Alfano wrote about the Baltimore Ravens secondary. Teams in the NFL have been interested in the surplus of talent the Ravens have in the secondary. Alfano includes a quote from Eric DeCosta’s comments to the media.

One of the biggest takeaways from the Ravens’ initial roster is the fact that they decided to keep 11 defensive backs: five cornerbacks and six safeties. That’s not even counting cornerback Arthur Maulet, who will miss at least the first four games of the season on injured reserve but should return soon after.

That deep secondary could be seen as something of a luxury, and other teams know it. According to general manager Eric DeCosta, the Ravens received calls from multiple teams looking to trade for a defensive back, but they turned down those offers to maintain a position of strength.

“We’re really strong [in the secondary], and we had a few teams call us about a few of our players, and my mentality is, ‘If you’re strong, stay strong,’” DeCosta told reporters Thursday. “In some years, we’ve traded players, and then you get a couple of injuries and then you look at it and kind of regret it, now you’re happy at draft time, but it makes for some challenges in [the] season. We just decided this year that we liked our team and we were going to stand put with the players that we had.

This is a comforting stance for the general manager to take. Think about all the times the Ravens were lacking in the secondary. The 2014 season could have finished with a Super Bowl if the Ravens weren’t on plan G at cornerback in the postseason. There’s a saying that you can never have enough defensive backs and in the passing league of 2024 that seems twice as true as it once did. Nate Wiggins already fought off the injury bug in the preseason. Marlon Humphrey isn’t getting any younger. It could be an exciting season for the entire secondary. What if the Ravens get a breakout season from Jalyn Armour-Davis? What if Beau Brade becomes a special teams warrior? You don’t want to part with talented defensive backs because you never know when you may need all of them.

Could Rashod Bateman be the Ravens’ secret weapon? Sarah Ellison shared a very encouraging quote from Lamar Jackson on Bateman. A sneaky year is a good way to put it. The Ravens don’t really know what a fully healthy Rashod Bateman could do in a full season. Bateman has flashed signs that he’s ready to take the next step at the receiver position. He had a strong training camp and having the confidence of the MVP quarterback certainly doesn’t hurt.

Is it Thursday night yet?

The post OTL: Waiting All Week for Thursday Night appeared first on Russell Street Report.

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Title: OTL: Waiting All Week for Thursday Night
Author: Chris Schisler

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