Our Week 3 spotlight game is a showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs as both teams are looking to avoid the infamous 1-3 start to their seasons.
Baltimore is coming off a 38-30 loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday night, while the Chiefs are coming off their first win of the season after their 22-9 beatdown of the New York Giants.
The Ravens have lost the previous two matchups against Kansas City, with the last one coming down to a toe from tight end Isaiah Likely, who was ruled out of bounds, ultimately giving Baltimore the loss.
Likely could see the field for the first time this season if head coach John Harbaugh gives him the green light after being a full participant in practice this week following his recovery from a foot injury.
However, Baltimore will be without other key starters for the matchup.
Defensive tackles Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) and Broderick Washington (ankle), along with fullback Pat Ricard (calf), have been ruled out for Sunday's matchup.
Left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle), defensive tackle Travis Jones (knee), and linebacker Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) are all questionable after being limited participants in practice on Friday.
As for Kansas City, defensive end Mike Danna (quad) is the only one ruled as doubtful, while cornerback Kristian Fulton (ankle) and defensive end Ashton Gillotte (elbow) are both questionable. After practicing earlier in the week, Gillotte was a non-participant in Friday's practice.
The Ravens are 2.5-point favourites despite the Chiefs having home-field advantage, with the over-under set at 48.5.
So, who will avoid going 1-3 to start their season?
Only one team in NFL history has ever gone on to win the Super Bowl after starting the season 1-3 - the 2001 New England Patriots.
And the last time the Ravens beat the Chiefs in Kansas City was in 2021 by a score of 9-6.
Baltimore Ravens
Despite losing by eight, the Ravens are coming off one of their ugliest losses in recent memory.
They allowed 30 pressures on quarterback Lamar Jackson with seven total sacks. Their defence has now given up 96 points this season - the most ever through the first three games in a season in franchise history.
So not only is their offensive line causing trouble, but their entire defence as a whole is ranked 32nd in the league right now and is on pace to become the worst in franchise history.
That's not something you necessarily want when going into Kansas City when Patrick Mahomes is getting his No. 1 wide receiver (Xavier Worthy) back from injury.
Even with Jackson putting up MVP numbers again, the Ravens' defence is so notoriously bad right now that it doesn't matter how perfect he plays.
So, here's what the Ravens need to do in order to beat the Chiefs on Sunday.
First, defensive coordinator Zachary Orr needs to come into this matchup blitz-happy. There should never be, at any moment in time during this game, when this Ravens defence rushes less than five guys at a time.
Their pass rush is god awful. It's 30th in sack percentage. Odafe Oweh is not Micah Parsons. Kyle Van Noy, even if he plays, is not Myles Garrett. And rookie Mike Green is getting overpowered by offensive linemen who outweigh him by at least 50 pounds.
The Baltimore Ravens do not have the luxury of sending four guys or less to rush Mahomes and they never will this season against any other team.
If the Ravens can't put Mahomes on his back during this game, and force a turnover or two, it's as good as over.
Secondly, use tight end chip blocks. That Monday night display by their offensive line was some of the worst fans have ever watched.
Without Ricard in this game, Derrick Henry, Mark Andrews, Likely, whoever it is, needs to help on pass blocking almost every single play.
Lastly, stop playing zone defence. If they drop their linebackers into hook zones again like they did against Detroit over and over, Mahomes is going to have his first 300+ passing yard game of the season by the third quarter.
Baltimore has explosive defenders all around their defence. But they do not operate well in open space outside of Kyle Hamilton.
Orr needs to assign them to either blitz or cover their receivers on man with at least one safety over the top in almost every play.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are a shell of who they used to be - that's just the reality. Their offence ranks 18th overall and 21st in scoring. Their defence is only slightly better, ranking 13th overall and 10th in scoring.
A 22-9 win over the lowly Giants, in which they barely put up 306 total yards, is nothing to pop champagne to. They have their flaws as well.
Their only saving grace is their quarterback.
Here's what the Chiefs need to do in order to beat the Ravens on Sunday.
First, establish the run game. Running backs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt have yet to eclipse 50 yards in a game this season - now is the perfect time to do so.
With Madubuike and Washington out for the Ravens, that interior defensive line is going to be a delectable chicken dinner for the Chiefs' offensive line. Get Pacheco and/or Hunt going early.
Do that, put up early touchdowns, and the Ravens will panic and abandon the run early on.
Eliminating Henry from the Ravens' offensive game plan forces their hand. At least, the Ravens coaching staff thinks it does.
Second, find Kelce in between the zone coverages. The Ravens aren't going to learn their lesson. So let Kelce do what he does best 7-10 yards down the field.
They'll have time to throw the ball to allow Kelce to find space, so why go away from what has killed this Ravens defence every time they've played them?
Lastly, watch the quick throws.
Jackson commented that he was sacked so much this past week because he had to wait for plays to develop down the field. So I expect their offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, to work their receivers in the middle of the field this time around.
And, of course, Monken loves screens, so play press man coverage just in case anyway.
Stacking the box helps both this and stopping the run game. If Jackson lobs one up to DeAndre Hopkins down the field like he's been doing this season, it's okay. They have the worst defence in football; opportunities to rebound will constantly be there.
Ravens vs. Chiefs preview roundup
A terrible run defence (Baltimore) against an equally terrible rushing offence (Chiefs) could end up being the deciding factor in who wins this game - not joking. Who will make the critical stops?
Baltimore has the No. 1 scoring offence in the league. Stopping Jackson is an impossible task. They scored 30 points despite him being sacked seven times and Henry fumbling in a critical situation again.
Jackson is quite literally at a level of play where if he doesn't miraculously turn the ball over somehow, that offence is going to find a way to score a ton of points and will always be a threat to take over a game completely.
As for the Chiefs, none of what they've shown this season looks like a team raring for a Super Bowl run again. But it's still early. Andy Reid and Mahomes is the best head coach-quarterback duo in the NFL. They will adjust, if needed, at any given point in this game.
Baltimore has only forced one fumble and one interception all season, while the Chiefs have only turned it over once. So long as Mahomes stays upright, the Chiefs can win this game.
Perhaps running a rare no-huddle offence against a Ravens defence desperate for defensive linemen would be ideal for Kansas City this week.