Chiefs-Ravens Week 1: 5 issues we discovered

The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs hung one other championship banner at Arrowhead Stadium because the NFL season kicked off on Thursday night time. The defending champs got here out swinging and did sufficient to carry off the Baltimore Ravens — who got here up a literal toe-length wanting their quest to avenge their exit from the playoffs by the hands of the Chiefs in final season’s AFC Championship Sport.

Whereas it wasn’t an ideal outing on both aspect of the ball, one factor was evident on this contest: with the addition of rookie speedster Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs’ passing assault is vastly improved over final season.

1. Rashee Rice is perhaps a very powerful piece of the puzzle

The Chiefs will feed Rashee Rice and lean on him as a lot as attainable to use the single-coverage seems out of the slot. Any time Rice ran a slant of a shallow cross, quarterback Patrick Mahomes seemed in his course and hit him in stride. Rice seems extra snug within the offense heading into 12 months 2 and has earned the belief of head coach Andy Reid on the soccer area.

Rice caught a complete of seven targets on this sport for 103 yards. Whereas he may not be probably the most explosive participant on this offense, he may very well be a very powerful.

2. Xavier Worthy’s velocity is as marketed

Now, onto the person who’s probably the most explosive participant on this offense.

On the very first contact of his profession, rookie broad receiver Xavier Worthy took an end-around 21 yards to the home for a landing. He later adopted this up with a 35-yard landing reception on what was busted protection by the Ravens secondary.

That is the type of efficiency the Chiefs envisioned after they chosen Worthy within the first spherical of the 2023 NFL Draft. Whereas he solely noticed three targets within the sport, his velocity was an element. Whereas some have posed issues about Worthy’s dimension, fearing that he’ll battle to get off press protection, Andy Reid is ready to seek out methods to maintain him out of these conditions by bringing him in movement and lining him up off the road.

If Worthy is operating free on a play, it’s a must to take discover of him and account for it as a result of when you don’t, he’ll slip behind your protection within the blink of a watch, and as soon as he’s previous you, you’re not catching him. His velocity additionally stretches out the protection and opens up receiving lanes beneath for his teammates.

3. Kingsley Suamataia goes to be simply fantastic

Did the Chiefs rookie left sort out have the cleanest efficiency within the sport’s historical past on Thursday night time?

Nope.

He was referred to as for holding, gave up a sack and acquired beat on multiple event.

That being stated, the Baltimore Ravens are among the best pass-rushing groups and defenses within the NFL. This might need been one in every of his most tough assessments all season, and at no level did he look out of his depth or like he was drowning on the market. Nonetheless simply 21 years outdated, Suamataia was thought of a mission by most pundits when he got here out within the draft; no one had him pegged as a Day 1 starter within the NFL.

Suamataia has all of the instruments on the earth to be among the best tackles within the NFL, however he’s nonetheless a piece in progress, and the actual fact he performed in addition to he did on this sport is a superb signal of issues to return.

4. Chiefs must get extra athletic at linebacker

There is no such thing as a sugarcoating it. Nick Bolton had a sport that he wish to overlook. Whereas he can often depend on his play recognition and soccer IQ to compensate for his athletic deficiencies, he seemed uncovered towards the Ravens.

He was practically invisible in run protection all through many of the sport, and he was a legal responsibility in go protection, giving up a 49-yard landing go to Ravens tight finish Isaiah Probably. Bolton practically gave up the game-winner as effectively, save for the truth that Probably’s foot was out of bounds on his second landing by an inch.

Not so much was product of dropping Willie Homosexual Jr. to free company within the offseason, however the Chiefs missed his athleticism desperately on Thursday. Third-year linebacker Leo Chenal had a pleasant sport across the line of scrimmage, and Drue Tranquill confirmed flashes, however there’s a want on this staff for one more protection linebacker.

5. The Chiefs and Mahomes are nonetheless the category of the NFL

On an evening when the Chiefs hung their third Tremendous Bowl banner in 5 years and the place Patrick Mahomes surpassed Corridor of Famer Len Dawson because the franchise’s all-time main passer, it was clear from the beginning that the Chiefs have been the higher staff.

The Ravens is perhaps the Chiefs’ hardest check, and they’re in all probability a top-five staff in the complete NFL. Lamar Jackson ran wild and continues to be a troublesome matchup for Kansas Metropolis, but the Chiefs nonetheless discovered a approach to win.

Kansas Metropolis’s margin of error is a lot higher than everybody else’s. They will battle within the purple zone, throw a horrible choose, hand over a giant play for a landing and nonetheless discover a approach to come out on high towards one of many league’s finest groups.