Arrowhead Pride
The Kansas City Chiefs will play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. The game will kick off at 3:25 p.m. and will be broadcast on CBS. This will be the fifth regular-season matchup between Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, with Mahomes leading the series 4-1.
These games have often come down to the wire, and neither team will want to fall to a 1-3 record.
Here are five things to watch on Sunday.
After sustaining a shoulder injury in Week 1 — exiting the game after only three snaps following a collision with tight end Travis Kelce — the second-year wideout is expected to return on Sunday. It was initially thought he had suffered a more serious injury — but after a few weeks of rest, he is back.
Even if Worthy is not yet at full health, his speed and deep-ball threat — as well as his ability to stretch the field — will make him valuable. In Week 3, Kansas City was able to attack downfield when quarterback Patrick Mahomes connected with wide receiver Tyquan Thornton for several big gains in critical situations.
With Worthy back in the fold, the offense should open up even more, gaining a much-needed burst of juice for a unit that currently ranks in the bottom half of the league in points scored.
In limited looks so far this season, the rookie cornerback has quietly put together a string of quality snaps. In the Chiefs’ first two games, he showed strong physical coverage skills and a good understanding of the defense. Against the New York Giants last Sunday, he played a career-high 19 defensive snaps and made several nice plays on the ball when given chances.
The Kansas City secondary is once again shaping up to be a strength of the team. For Williams to find the field early is an encouraging sign of things to come.
Through the early portion of the season, Jackson ranks second among quarterbacks in rushing yards and ranks 10th in the league in passing with 722 yards. The two-time MVP has been the catalyst for the league’s highest-scoring team: Baltimore has put up 111 points through three games.
Jackson is one of the league’s elite talents. The Chiefs’ defense will have its hands full with him.
In the past, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has used a “spy by committee” approach against Jackson. Everyone from linebackers to safeties — and even defensive linemen — has taken part, hoping to disguise the spy enough to keep Jackson guessing.
The Ravens’ offense knows how to exploit defenses that commit a single player to spying Jackson. Quick routes and fast-hitting plays are often designed to take advantage of misaligned defenders.
The Kansas City defensive line will face a tall task: generating pressure while containing Jackson in the pocket, preventing him from using his electrifying playmaking abilities. Pass-rush integrity will be...
