The Baltimore Ravens travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs in a rematch of last years AFC Championship, to kickoff the 2024 NFL season. It will be a tough matchup for the Ravens in week one as the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are 4-1 against the Ravens in the Lamar Jackson era. Thursday night will be the second time in Ravens history they have played in the NFL’s opening game, and the second time on the road. The Ravens despite being the defending Super Bowl champions had to travel to Denver for the 2013 season opener due to a scheduling conflict with the Orioles.
The Ravens come into Thursday night fairly healthy, but will be without rookie outside linebacker Adisa Isaac (neck) and rookie running back Rasheen Ali (hamstring). In addition to cornerback Arthur Maulet who is working his way back from injured reserve and will miss the first four games of the year, and Keaton Mitchell who will miss extended period as he continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered last season.
The Chiefs will also enter Thursday night mostly healthy as they have only one injury designation, ruling out former Raven Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (shoulder).
Players to Watch:
Derrick Henry
The newest Baltimore Raven, Derrick Henry was brought in this offseason to help the Ravens get over the hump against these very same Chiefs. In the 2023 AFC title game the Ravens rushed the ball just six times, something the Ravens hope won’t happen again with Henry in the backfield, as Henry has had less than six carries in just six career games. Henry has faced off against the Chiefs four times in his career rushing for 447 total yards on 78 carries, and six touchdowns. Henry rushed for 188 yards against the Chiefs in 2019, the seventh most rushing yards Henry has had in a game in his career.
Despite being 30-years old, Henry is coming off a season in which he rushed for 1,167 yards on 280 carries, and adding 12 touchdowns. With quarterback Lamar Jackson’s threat to run the sky is the limit for Henry and this Ravens offense, and it will be something to watch as Henry hits the field for his first game as a Raven.
Chris Jones
Entering his ninth NFL season Chris Jones is the unquestioned leader of the Chiefs defense. After signing a five-year $158.75 million dollar deal this offseason, Jones looks to continue his dominance after recording 10.5 sacks in 2023. The Ravens held Jones in check in the AFC championship, as Jones was limited to just one pass deflection, one QB hit, but no tackles. In total the Ravens have faced Jones four times, with Jones totaling 12 tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles.
With a questionable Ravens offensive line heading into the season opener Jones could very easily take over this game and cause headaches for this Ravens offense. It will be interesting to watch how the Ravens look to attack Jones and how Jones and Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo adjust and look to replicate their AFC championship game success.
Prediction
The Ravens and the Chiefs have played five times since 2018, with four of those games being decided by seven points or less, and Thursday night should be no different. Despite it only being week one, this game could have a lot at stake late in the year as both teams will surely be fighting for the AFC’s number one seed. No matter the outcome of Thursday nights game, both teams will look different should they face off again later in the year in the playoffs.
The Chiefs have recently started years off slower then they would like as they fell in last years season opener to the Detroit Lions 21-20. Whether you believe in the Super Bowl hangover, history has shown it can play a role in a teams season coming off winning a Super Bowl. I think between that and the Ravens playing with a major chip on their shoulder to wash away their disappointing AFC championship performances you will see a close, but dominate performance by the Ravens on Thursday night. Ravens win 34-27.
Line: Kansas City -3
Over/Under: 46.5
All-Time Record: Kansas City leads series 7-4
Last Meeting: 9/19/21 Baltimore 36-35
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