Baltimore Beatdown
The Baltimore Ravens start the 2025 regular season with a brutal gauntlet of opponents, including the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, and Kansas City Chiefs within the first four weeks. Their game against the defending AFC champions may be a little easier now, however, as Kansas City is set to be without one of its top playmakers on offense for the first six games of the season.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice will serve a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
The Ravens had trouble stopping Rice in their Week 1 loss in Kansas City last season, as he led the Chiefs with 103 receiving yards on seven catches. Life without Rice in the starting lineup is nothing new to Kansas City, though, as a knee injury in Week 4 ended his season prematurely last year.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes will still have his favorite target, the reliable future Hall-of-Fame tight end Travis Kelce, as well as the speedy first-round wide receiver Xavier Worthy, looking to build off a promising rookie season. Former Baltimore first-round wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown will also be a factor after missing the Week 1 matchup against his former team in 2024.
No matter who lines up at wide receiver for the Chiefs, stopping an offense led by Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid is no small task, as the Ravens are well aware of over the years. Baltimore’s retooled secondary, featuring new players such as rookie first-round safety Malaki Starks and veteran cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Chidobe Awuzie, will be tested immediately in their first game with the Ravens.
