Things looked bleak early, but the Baltimore Ravens were finally able to slay the beast known as Andy Reid’s Kansas City Chiefs.
It was a short week following a road overtime loss in Las Vegas. So it was little wonder that the Baltimore Ravens weren’t expected to beat Andy Reid’s team on Sunday night.
The club had dropped four straight games to the Chiefs dating back to 2015 – the last three involving a spectacular showdown between quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes.
So who stood out and who disappointed for John Harbaugh’s in his team’s 36-35 victory?
Stud: QB Lamar Jackson
He got off to a miserable start on Sunday night and it looked like it could be another rough outing against a team that has plagued the early stages of his career. But Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson overcame a pair of first-quarter interceptions and slowly but surely began to do what he does best.
The fourth-year pro wound up throwing for 239 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown to wide receiver Marquise Brown. He also ran the football 16 times for 107 yards and a pair of scores. And he rallied his team from an 11-point deficit to slay the Chiefs by one point (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley).
Dud: Ravens pass rush
In recent seasons, Baltimore’s defense has been depleted by free agency. Recent departures include the likes of veteran Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith in 2019 and this offseason, Matt Judon, Yannick Ngakoue and Jihad Ward.
The Ravens tried to offset those losses this year by drafting Odafe Oweh in the first round and signing sack specialist Justin Houston. In a winning effort, Baltimore failed to sack Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes and out little heat on him.