The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs start their quest to change into the primary crew for the reason that Nineteen Sixties to win three consecutive NFL championships once they host the Baltimore Ravens within the season opener on Thursday.
This contest is a rematch of final season’s AFC Championship Recreation, which the visiting Chiefs received 17-10.
It is also the sixth assembly between Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, the reigning NFL MVP. Mahomes owns a 4-1 head-to-head report in opposition to Jackson, who downplayed the rivalry with Mahomes this week and potential payback for the loss to the Chiefs in January.
“Any recreation I play in, I really feel prefer it’s a revenge recreation,” Jackson mentioned. “I am not simply going to take a look at this recreation like a revenge recreation. Anyone we play, regardless of if we have overwhelmed them or misplaced to them in earlier years, I simply need to win.”
The Ravens inexplicably ran the ball simply 16 occasions — eight by Jackson — for 81 yards within the AFC Championship Recreation regardless of ending the common season with the NFL’s high floor assault. The Ravens signed four-time Professional Bowler Derrick Henry as a free agent within the offseason, and he ought to get loads of alternatives to hold the ball in opposition to the Chiefs
Henry ran for 672 yards with eight touchdowns in six video games, together with the postseason, in opposition to Kansas Metropolis over eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans.
Ravens common supervisor Eric DeCosta tried to amass Henry ultimately season’s commerce deadline, however the Titans denied him. Henry turned the Ravens’ high free-agent goal, and DeCosta signed him to a two-year, $16 million deal in March.
When requested whether or not he would have been the distinction for the Ravens in final season’s playoffs, Henry mentioned this week, “Hell sure. I used to be wishing I might swimsuit up that day (once I was) watching that recreation. However, sure, now it is my flip, so (I’ve) to reap the benefits of it. It’ll be a hell of a recreation. The Chiefs are at all times powerful, (and) they’re stable on all three (phases), so we have to be locked on this week to have the ability to execute on Thursday.”
The Chiefs haven’t shied away from making an attempt to make historical past this season as they attempt to change into the primary crew to win a 3rd consecutive Tremendous Bowl. The Ravens might be one in every of their largest challenges within the AFC, and Kansas Metropolis gamers need to ship a message to the remainder of the NFL that their crew remains to be the one to beat.
The Chiefs will get a possibility on Thursday evening, shortly after unveiling their Tremendous Bowl LVIII championship banner. Mahomes is anticipating one other hard-fought matchup.
“The frequent factor is simply physicality and pace. That is who the Ravens are,” Mahomes mentioned. “They seem to be a crew that is going to play onerous. They are going to play bodily, and you need to settle for that problem. When you do not, they will dominate the soccer recreation.
“Regardless that they’ve traded by defensive coordinators, they’ve those self same rules. I feel that is extra of the crew (and) the tradition they’ve, and I am certain there will likely be wrinkles that we’ll have to regulate (to) on the market. I imply, they’ve an awesome soccer crew (and) an awesome protection. It’ll be an awesome problem for us.”
–Discipline Degree Media
