Another week, another big game for the Chiefs, who once again find themselves playing an elite AFC team for the second time in two weeks. This time the Chiefs are on the road, headed to Baltimore for the Ravens home opener on Sunday Night Football. As youAA tune in for your NFL night cap, here are three matchups to keep an eye on all game:
Lamar Jackson vs. Tyrann Mathieu
A lot's been made about Jackson's struggles with downfield passes against the Chiefs, not to mention his 0-3 record. Unfair criticism is nothing new for Jackson, but if the Ravens are going to push back against the building narratives, it's going to involve taking a few deep shots. Mathieu will be making his 2021 debut, after missing Week 1's win over Cleveland with COVID-related issues. How much will Baltimore test Mathieu? If nothing else, Mathieu's return will help the Chiefs' red zone defense, which was woeful in Week 1.
Frank Clark vs. The Ravens' Tackles
Starting tackle Ronnie Staley is questionable for Sunday's game, which is great news for a Chiefs pass rush that really needs some. Add in Clark, who's making his 2021 debut after missing Week 1 with a hamstring issue, and it makes for a matchup worth watching all afternoon. The Chiefs' pass-rushing unit was, by some metrics, the worst in all of football last week: according to ESPN's pass-rushing numbers, Kansas City had the worst pass-rush win rate in the league last week (22%). Getting Clark back will go a long way towards improving that.
Orlando Brown Jr. vs. Sammy Watkins
This is a great game for a lot of legitimate reasons, but it's also a great game for illegitimate ones too. For instance, who's going to have a better revenge game: Orlando Brown or Sammy Watkins? Can Watkins show the Chiefs that letting him walk was a mistake? Is Brown going to make Baltimore regret committing to Ronnie Staley? (Probably not, but you know what I mean.) It's never too early to overreact in the NFL.