10 observations from Baltimore Ravens heartbreaking loss to Kansas City
7. It’s not Don Martindale you should be mad at:
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The truth i that there is no perfect answer to playing the Chiefs. They have the best tight end in football in Travis Kelce (arguably). They have the best deep threat in football in Tyreek Hill. Pat Mahomes is next level good and he’s making Alex Smith look like he was a pedestrian placeholder for him. The Chiefs were putting up numbers no matter what happened. The fact is that the Ravens held the Chiefs under 30 points, put a beating on Mahomes and got a crucially important interception. Martindale called a great game that made the Chiefs beatable. The Chiefs struggled in this game and the fact that they won shows how good they are.
6. The Ravens style of play is working:
The Ravens run the football now. It’s all of the sudden become their identity and it’s a monumental change. The Ravens are 3-1 with Lamar Jackson, a healthy running game and a ball control offense that plays into the hands of the defense. Baltimore is showing signs of life that just didn’t seem to be there halfway through the season. The idea of the Ravens making the postseason all the sudden looks probable. The idea of the Ravens making a entertaining playoff run has all the sudden become plausible. The quarterback debate should be over, the Ravens have found what makes them tick. This format of football works for the purple and black and they need to stick with it.
5. The Ravens asked a lot from their defense:
The Ravens offense did make things interesting, but it’s hard to say that the defense was put in many good spots in this game. Mahomes threw the football 53 times. The Chiefs had 65 total plays and beat the Ravens in the time of possession mark by about six minutes. Their style of football is working, but they needed a flawless game to beat the Chiefs. This loss was almost inevitable and the Ravens almost won. Is it okay to be frustrated with the defense? Absolutely. They gave up a lot in this game and the Chiefs made the plays that broke their back. However the defense did better than most defenses do against the Chiefs and the defense got a lot of stops against a Super Bowl worthy opponent.