50 Words or Less: Derrick Henry Could Have Another Big Game Against Chiefs
Clifton Brown, BaltimoreRavens.com
In six games against the Kansas City Chiefs including the playoffs, Derrick Henry has averaged 112.0 yards and 5.6 yards per carry with eight touchdowns. Think the Chiefs are happy the Ravens signed Henry?
The Ravens and Chiefs have months to think about their Week 1 matchup. That makes the opener even more fascinating. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when Todd Monken and Lamar Jackson share thoughts this summer plotting for their next crack at Kansas City’s defense.
Jackson has said on several occasions that he loves being an underdog. That’s what the Ravens will be against the Chiefs in Week 1, and that scenario often brings out Baltimore’s best performances.
After Week 1, the Ravens have six games that they’ll enter with more than seven days off. Yes, the Ravens have some tough stretches, including playing three games in 10 days from Week 15-17. But they also have some longer-than-usual breaks that should help them.
— The Ravens won’t face any opponent who’s coming off a bye in 2024. That’s another scheduling quirk that should work to their advantage.
NFL Schedule 2024: Top 7 Revenge Games Include Harbaugh Bowl, Kirk Cousins’ Return to Minnesota
Dakota Randall, Pro Football Network
Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers (Harbaugh Bowl), Week 12
Another Super Bowl rematch, but this one is a decade in the making.
Way back in 2013, John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens beat Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. The two brothers haven’t coached against each other since, as Jim eventually left San Francisco to coach at Michigan. Now, he’s back in the NFL and coaching the Los Angeles Chargers, who’ll host Baltimore in Week 12. Fortunately, this game will be a prime-time showdown on Monday Night Football.
Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs, Week 1
This game will serve as the NFL’s season opener, and it should be a banger.
Baltimore lost to Kansas City in last season’s AFC Championship Game despite being the conference’s No. 1 seed. Will defending MVP Lamar Jackson score a huge win in a hostile environment, or will Patrick Mahomes once again prove that the path to the Super Bowl runs through Kansas City? We can’t wait to learn the answer.
2024 NFL schedule breakdown for all 32 teams: One good thing and one bad thing each team will face this season
John Breech, CBS Sports
One good thing for the Ravens: The Ravens get a Week 14 bye, which is tied for the latest bye that any team was given this year. If the Ravens are in playoff contention, a late bye should be good news, since it will give them time to heal up for the stretch run.
One bad thing for the Ravens: The NFL didn’t do the Ravens any favors to start the season. Four of Baltimore’s first five games are against the Chiefs, Cowboys, Bills and Bengals, which means if the Ravens come out flat to start the season, they might dig themselves a hole they won’t be able to get out of.
Coach John Harbaugh embracing Ravens’ challenging schedule
Todd Karpovich, BaltimoreSports.com
“I love playing the Chiefs because I always love playing the Chiefs,” Harbaugh said on the Ravens’ podcast The Lounge. “I mean, now I’d like to beat the Chiefs a little more often than we’ve done. That will be the next goal. So much respect for those guys. But we just have to make sure we’re ready now. We’ve got something now, to know it’s in our grasp. This is who we’re playing in the opener and this is what we’ve got to get done.”
“It’s an honor to play on Christmas Day,” Harbaugh said. “It’s an honor to play on Netflix in front of the whole world. It’s going to be a huge, massive game. We’ve got to go on the road. I’d love for those guys or somebody else to be coming here on Christmas Day. I’d love it for our fans, too.”
Breakout candidates for all 16 AFC teams: Bills’ Khalil Shakir, Steelers’ Keeanu Benton and more
Bradley Locker, PFF
BALTIMORE RAVENS: LB TRENTON SIMPSON
The Ravens lost not only defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald but also standout linebacker Patrick Queen this offseason. The most likely to fill Queen’s big shoes is Simpson, a third-round pick from a year ago.
Simpson played only 49 snaps in 2023 but was effective, earning a 76.3 overall grade as well as a 77.4 coverage grade. If Baltimore wants to repeat its strong defensive efforts from 2023, Simpson will be tasked with stepping up.