Baltimore Ravens downed by Chiefs: The good, bad and ugly
The Baltimore Ravens lost in dramatic fashion to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. It’s now time for the good, bad and ugly from the game.
The good:
The Baltimore Ravens have been running at will the last few weeks and that was no different on Sunday vs. the Chiefs. The team’s run game continues to stay hot behind quarterback Lamar Jackson.
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Jackson took off for a team-high 71-yards on 13 carries. What seemed different this week compared to previous weeks was that Jackson appeared to be much smarter in his approach. Jackson took the corner on his runs and beat the Chiefs defense to the edge all-day long.
The rest of Baltimore’s back-field was just as impressive. Gus Edwards continued his hot-streak with 67-yards on 16 carries (which was a team high). Kenneth Dixon has continued looking sharp since returning from injury, as the third-year pro gained 59-yards on just eight carries, including scoring the Ravens first touchdown of the game. Another plus for Dixon was his 21-yard reception on a 1st-and-20.
Lamar Jackson looked as good as he has all year as a passer and spread the ball around very well. There were a few instances were Jackson used his mobility to manipulate defenses and force them into choosing to stop him or stay in coverage. These kind of plays caught our attention and gave us a ton of confidence in his future development.
It helps that Jackson’s supporting cast, particularly the wide receivers, came to play on Sunday. Michael Crabtree (3/31/0) and John Brown (2/23/1) had solid days, but Willie Snead was the real star of the show. Snead channeled his inner Anquan Boldin vs. the Chiefs and was a safety blanket across the middle all-day long for Jackson. If not for blatant pass interference in overtime, Snead would’ve had a clutch fourth down conversion to keep Baltimore’s hopes alive.
In the end, there were plenty of bright spots for the Ravens vs. Kansas City, but they’ll be entirely overshadowed by the team’s shortcomings.