OTL: The Bell Now Tolls

Chiefs v. Ravens

It’s weird that I chose a reference from a Hemingway novel for my headline on the day we celebrate the start of a new season by a team named in deference to Edgar Allen Poe, but it is apropos.

For all the energy invested in building this year’s roster and coaching staff, to long, hot hours on the practice field, to discussion after discussion over what went wrong in last year’s AFC Championship game v. Chiefs, the time is here. The bell rings. It’s time to put up or shut up for a new NFL season.

And the Ravens get the opportunity to do so on a national stage, against perhaps the most-popular team in American sports, with memories of a listless playoff flop squarely in mind. No, this game doesn’t change the outcome of last year’s conference title game if the Ravens win. And, to be a little contrary to Hemingway’s message that death comes for all of us, it doesn’t tank the season if they lose an opener, especially in these days of a 17-game slate.

But it matters. This game matters.

The Kansas City Chiefs are chasing history this season, and that pursuit begins tonight. They are attempting to become the first team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a row, and they bring an historic quarterback, legendary tight end, a head coach who figures to land on the Mt. Rushmore of head coaches one day and a fan who, quite frankly, might be the most famous woman on the planet. That doesn’t even include a stacked defense and a coordinator on that side of the ball who has proven to be problematic to the Ravens’ offense.

But the Ravens provide some headaches, as well, and will have a different look than the one the Chiefs faced in January. Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star shared some ways this Ravens team has changed.

He began with an obvious one: new running back Derrick Henry.

“Henry, 30, has rushed for 1,000 or more yards in five of the past six seasons,” wrote Grathoff. “He had 1,167 yards rushing a year ago on a league-most 280 carries. He has averaged 111.8 rushing yards per game against the Chiefs in four contests.”

Another mention by Grathoff is the Ravens having a healthy Mark Andrews in tow this game, something that wasn’t the case in last year’s playoffs.

“While tight end Mark Andrews played against the Chiefs in the AFC title game, he had just two catches for 15 yards and was clearly not himself,” wrote Grathoff. And that matters.

The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec wrote about the game, and things to look for. One thing he mentioned is how a seasoned Chiefs team appeared to get into the Ravens’ heads before the game even started.

“The Chiefs clearly believed they could get in the Ravens’ heads in January, and they were right,” said Zrebiec. “From Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce throwing Justin Tucker’s equipment aside in pregame to Kelce baiting Kyle Van Noy into an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to L’Jarius Sneed drawing a taunting call on Zay Flowers, the Chiefs used their experience and savviness to their full advantage. Tucker didn’t have much to say about the incident with Kansas City’s biggest stars this week, and the Ravens generally chose their words carefully in the locker room. But they remembered how the Chiefs took them out of their game. In what figures to be another emotionally charged environment, the Ravens have been reminded to keep their composure and avoid ill-advised penalties.”

He also mentioned a strategic element to last year’s game by Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

“Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had a lot of success in January in sending heavy blitzes at Lamar Jackson,” wrote Zrebiec. “Kansas City blitzed him on 44 percent of his dropbacks. Ravens quarterbacks coach Tee Martin acknowledged that the Chiefs poked some holes in the team’s protection schemes and forced the coaching staff to make offseason adjustments. The Ravens also spent significant time in training camp working against the blitz. We’ll see how much the team has learned, but Spagnuolo has been so successful over the years in mixing things up.”

The Sun’s Mike Preston penned a Q&A this week, and he was asked which position group, outside the offensive line, concerned him the most heading into the season.

“It will be the edge rushers or outside linebackers,” wrote Preston. “Neither Odafe Oweh nor David Ojabo are proven, and in recent years the Ravens have shown they can’t win without a strong pass rush from the outside. Nnamdi Madubuike had a team-leading 13 sacks a year ago, so they’ll get good pressure up the middle. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy had nine sacks last season, but he’ll have to play without Jadeveon Clowney, who had 9 1/2 sacks but is now with the Carolina Panthers.”

Also of note…

[Ravens at Chiefs: Bold Predictions]