Baltimore Ravens: A turnover prone Patrick Mahomes is key to victory
The defense must step-up:
While sacks haven’t been too hard to come by for Baltimore, turnovers certainly haven’t been as common. The team has just five interceptions on the season, and no one player has more than one. Most noticeably has been the absence of guys like Marlon Humphrey, Jimmy Smith, and Eric Weddle from this list. Considering Weddle has had 10 interceptions since joining the Ravens in 2016, it’s odd that he hasn’t picked off any passes, while the other two hardly get thrown at thanks to their sticky coverage.
Now seems as good a week as ever for these three, as well as others, to add some interceptions to their 2018 stat-sheet. For a statement win for the Ravens over the Chiefs, forcing turnovers will be extremely necessary. Baltimore displayed this in a week 13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, by controlling the clock and playing great defense.
To beat the Chiefs, the team must employ a similar strategy. The longer the Ravens hold onto the ball and keep it out of Patrick Mahomes and co.’s hands, the better chance the team has of winning. This goes hand-in-hand with nabbing extra possessions off turnovers.
Next. Ravens: A win vs. Chiefs puts Baltimore in the drivers seat for the AFC North. dark
The Kansas City Chiefs certainly are a juggernaut of a team, but they aren’t without their warts. This Chiefs defense is bad, which will allow Baltimore to sustain long, effective drives and score points. From there, it’s about keeping Kansas City on the sidelines, and the best way for the Ravens to do this is to force turnovers. Patrick Mahomes may be playing like an NFL MVP, but Baltimore has every opportunity to bring him back down to Earth on Sunday.