Chiefs: Who Needs to Step Up Against the Ravens – It will take a complete team effort to beat the Ravens in Baltimore on Monday Night, so the Kansas City Chiefs teamwork needs to take a big step up. Unlike last week, versus the Los Angeles Chargers, they’ll need to be focused, energized, aggressive, and motivated. I’ll highlight all of the areas where K.C. needs to step it up: not just The Who, but I’ll also cover The What and The Why as well.
The Play Calls and the Game Plan
Kansas City coaches need to devise a better game plan and be more aggressive with play calling. Start this game with same urgency that they have shown in the 4th quarter many times… and none of that Vanilla-Half-Baked-Cookie-Crud! This game is too important to play head games, or waiting for later. In the last two games against the Ravens, the Chiefs and Andy Reid have shown to have the mental advantage, so the team will need to maintain that advantage. They can’t allow the Ravens to get a big lead. On the other hand, it’s a known fact if you get a lead on the Ravens, they’re not good at coming from behind. From here, let’s take a look at, The Worst First.
Chiefs Linebackers
So far this year we have seen nothing good from any of the Chiefs LBs… and rookie Willie Gay needs to be on the field. Whichever group of LBs are on the field, they all need to play much better, and to shed blocks and maintain their run fits, and both verbal and physical communication is key in slowing down the Ravens running attack. In defending the pass offense, the LBs need to do a much better job of covering the RBs and TEs. Although the Ravens don’t throw to their RBs much, it is a weakness by the Chiefs Linebackers. Someone from this group needs to step forward and assume the Alpha role, and then demand better play from the others. Leaders lead by example, but we’ve seen nothing! Lamar Jackson and his RBs and TEs will eat all day long on the Chiefs Linebackers, unless something changes.
Chiefs Defensive Line
In Week One, Sacknation played really well, but in Week Two, not as much. Chris Jones needs to keep his head in the game, and play with the same motivation, to show that he’s earning his millions. Someone needs to figure out Frank Clark’s repeated health issues. The rest of the DL feeds off of these two leaders and they’ll be needed. Shedding blocks, managing run alleys, and then pressuring Lamar Jackson while containing him in the pocket will be crucial. Stopping — or slowing — the Ravens running game largely depends on the Chiefs front seven. As we witnessed during last years playoff run, stopping the run is a mindset, and that mindset will need to be firmly entrenched on Monday evening.
Chiefs Defensive Backs
This is the only defensive unit that has played consistently well in the first 2 games. That being said, they will need to play at the same all pro level as we have seen so far.
While slowing down the Ravens short game depends on the Chiefs front seven, the long game defense depends on the coverage ability of the DBs. They must also support the front seven, when that’s where the action is, not lay back and wait for the plays to come to them.
Defensive Teamwork
Whichever 11 are on the field together need to be more consistent in their level of play. The defense must show up every play, rather than 1 out of 5 and they must communicate, be cohesive, and create turnovers by keeping pressure on the ball. The Defense must play fundamentally sound football and this is especially true against the Ravens.
The Chiefs Offense
The rest of the league seems to think they have figured out how to beat the Chiefs (well, it sometimes works for the first 3 quarters anyway). Andy Reid admitted after last weeks game that he could have put the offense in better situations, with better play calling. So, Andy and Eric Bieniemy need to step up their play calling this week. Baltimore’s game plan will most likely attack much the same way as the rest of the league has attempted to do. The blueprint supposedly is to pressure the Mahomes heavily and quickly, but meanwhile maintaining tight coverage on the deep passing game. The problem with this theory is… the Kansas City Chiefs won’t cooperate for long.
Chiefs Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes needs to play mistake free football the entire game. He must defeat what is designed to stop him. How do you ask can he do that? For starters he needs to start the game with the same urgency that he ends games with.
- Make the right presnap reads and audible calls to beat what he see’s.
- Make the right decisions on RPOs.
- Evade the pressure either by designed bootlegs, or scrambling to buy more time (designed QB keepers, and just scrambling for yardage when the pressure forces him out the pocket and nothing is open).
- When throwing the ball, Mahomes must take what the defense gives up, which will most likely will be the short passing game.
- Mahomes must not force what’s not there, by not missing what is there. When DBs make mistakes — and they will eventually — he needs to be ready.
Chiefs Running Backs
To beat the so called blueprint theory, Clyde Edwards-Helaire must have a productive game. To beat Baltimore the Chiefs RBs will be vital in the RPOs, Delayed Draws, and the Screen Passing Offense. On running plays they must not miss their opportunities for positive yardage and head north, not east or west. When any of the RBs are assigned to pass protection, they need to be in the right position to pick up rushers and blitzes. When they are called on to run pass routes, they must find the openings in the defense and be diligent in the screen pass game.
Chiefs Offensive Lineman
In the first game the offensive linemen played well, but in game two, they were mostly really bad. Protecting Patrick and opening run lanes for the RBs is a must at all five positions. Against the Chargers the offense was more productive when extra blockers were used to block the pressure. Mental, visual, and verbal communication between OL, RBs, QB must exist. Also, the Chiefs offensive linemen committed way too many penalties in Game Two, so that must be nipped in the bud.
Chiefs Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
When asked to help in pass protection, both WRs and TEs must not miss an assignment and perform quality blocks. Tyreek Hill admitted after Game Two, that he had not blocked as he should have for the RBs. That can’t happen this week. When blocking for the running game or the screen game the WRs and TEs must get the job done consistently. When running passing game routes they must not only find the openings in the defensive coverage, but they must… CATCH THE DANG BALL!
Summary: Who Needs to Step Up
We ask Who Must Step Up? The answer is everyone! The entirety of the coaches must coach, leaders must lead, and the star players must play like star… and so must everyone else. The Kansas City Chiefs must have a complete joint teamwork effort to beat the Baltimore Ravens in their stadium because for them, this is likely their Super Bowl. The Chiefs must also win the first 3 quarters rather than waiting for a 4th quarter comeback. Stop accepting the position of being the hunted. Go out and aggressively be the hunter.
Alan Haupt — ArrowheadOne
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