1227 replies to this topic

[mdrunning]

Chiefs All-Pro guard Joe Thuney will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of a pectoral injury suffered Sunday against Buffalo. 

 

If Thuney can't go, that would be a significant blow to Kansas City.

[hallas]

Reid will be looking for ways to get Kelce singled up on Queen. McDonald should be looking for ways to avoid that ever happening.

I've got to think that MacDonald is going to try and keep Kelce matched up with Hamilton as much as possible. Hamilton didn't do that great against Kittle but he's done pretty well against other TEs, including LaPorta.

Even so, IMO Queen's coverage technique is a light year better than his first couple years. He doesn't contest passes very well even when he's preventing separation, but he stays with his man. Kelce obviously has the advantage there but I don't think Queen is as outmatched as he has been in previous years.

And I'm a founding member of the Patrick Queen haters club so I would like to think I don't have purple colored glasses on.

Part of me also thinks the Ravens are going to bracket Kelce as much as possible.

[Biggsy]

I've got to think that MacDonald is going to try and keep Kelce matched up with Hamilton as much as possible. Hamilton didn't do that great against Kittle but he's done pretty well against other TEs, including LaPorta.

Even so, IMO Queen's coverage technique is a light year better than his first couple years. He doesn't contest passes very well even when he's preventing separation, but he stays with his man. Kelce obviously has the advantage there but I don't think Queen is as outmatched as he has been in previous years.

And I'm a founding member of the Patrick Queen haters club so I would like to think I don't have purple colored glasses on.

Part of me also thinks the Ravens are going to bracket Kelce as much as possible.

Hamilton didn't match up with Kittle once in that match up actually. Hamilton was targeted 6 times. Gave up 3 catches for 12 yards. I personally would have him follow Kelce all game. I don't think Macdonald does that though. He uses Hamilton in too many other ways.

[jamesdean]

Can't say I'm too happy about seeing the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game.  I do fear them but hopefully, the Ravens don't have the same feeling.  You can say this about any game but this will definitely come down to who plays the cleanest.  Turnovers will probably decide it.  And they absolutely have to stop Pacheco.  If they can keep him to 40-50 yards, the advantage swings to the Ravens. The Chiefs are a different team when they become one dimensional.  Not to mention, their run defense is not very good so it may come down to another game where the Ravens enforce their will on the ground.  Pressure Mahomes, stop Pacheco, don't turn the ball over and it's on to the Super Bowl. 

[jamesdean]

Also, the extended forecast is showing rain on Sunday, so that has to be considered a factor too.  It won't be cold but if the field is wet, maybe that favors the Ravens and their superior running game. 

[PrimeTime]

Seriously though. As crazy as it sounds, the KC offense runs through Pacheco this season. When teams have shut him down, (or he was out due to injury) KC's offense struggled. Mahomes is Mahomes. And Reid is Reid. But they simply don't have the playmakers on the outside. Rice is a baller, but he's not a big play guy.

If the offense can stay hot and just keep doing what they do, Ravens should win again. But it is Mahomes. And KC has a legit defense this year. Probably going to be a lower scoring, close game. Just can't see Mahomes letting his team get blown out in a AFC Championship game.

I'd almost be tempted to have Hamilton follow Kelce exclusively. Doubt Macdonald does that. But if you lock up Kelce, and stop Pacheco, all Mahomes has is Rice and his legs.

In 4 of KC's 6 losses in the regular season, they were held under 100 yards rushing as a team. In 6 of their 11 wins in the regular season, they were over 100 yards rushing as a team. In another win, they got to 101 yards.

On the other hand, when the Chiefs had 265 or more total passing yards, they were 7-0.

The biggest opportunity for the Ravens is to win the turnover battle. The Ravens were tops in the league in takeaways, the Chiefs were a staggering -11 in giveaway/takeaway. That number should burn you against good teams.

[Mike B]

To Quote Ric Flair, "in order to be the man, you have to beat the man."  The Ravens are going to do just that, they are the best team.

 

In a close one, Ravens 27 Chiefs 20.

[Mackus]

Defense has held teams under 20 in 11 of 17 games this year.  That's crazy.  20, 22, 24, 24, 31, and 33 are the other games.

[Biggsy]

Can't say I'm too happy about seeing the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. I do fear them but hopefully, the Ravens don't have the same feeling. You can say this about any game but this will definitely come down to who plays the cleanest. Turnovers will probably decide it. And they absolutely have to stop Pacheco. If they can keep him to 40-50 yards, the advantage swings to the Ravens. The Chiefs are a different team when they become one dimensional. Not to mention, their run defense is not very good so it may come down to another game where the Ravens enforce their will on the ground. Pressure Mahomes, stop Pacheco, don't turn the ball over and it's on to the Super Bowl.

It's the AFC Championship game. You should have to worry about the team you're facing.

Game will come down to who turns the ball over. If Lamar plays a clean game and the offense has 0 turnovers again, they should win again.

[Mike B]

It's the AFC Championship game. You should have to worry about the team you're facing.

Game will come down to who turns the ball over. If Lamar plays a clean game and the offense has 0 turnovers again, they should win again.

Yep, there are 4 teams left and they are all very good.  I had a feeling it was going to be this 4.  The pretenders are all gone.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

We havent faced an all time great in prime either this year. This is gonna be intense. Take your BP meds. Smoke the good stuff. Open up the bottle of the good stuff. I welcome needing to bring our best to win and get to the SB.

[NewMarketSean]

Win or lose I am going to Aruba on the third for a week.

 

But I'll be there on Sunday. Can't friggin wait.

[makoman]

We havent faced an all time great in prime either this year. This is gonna be intense. Take your BP meds. Smoke the good stuff. Open up the bottle of the good stuff. I welcome needing to bring our best to win and get to the SB.

I wasn't really anxious last week at all, am now. They may not be the 2019 Chiefs but their demise has been greatly exaggerated and Mahomes was always the last person I wanted to face. I'm just glad we beat them in 2021 so there's no mental block there, with Lamar calling them our kryptonite and all.

[DuffMan]

Expect the Refs to do what they can to help the KC Swifts.  Despite that disadvantage I think we are the better team and will take care of business on Sunday.

[Biggsy]

We havent faced an all time great in prime either this year. This is gonna be intense. Take your BP meds. Smoke the good stuff. Open up the bottle of the good stuff. I welcome needing to bring our best to win and get to the SB.

They faced Stafford, and a fully healthy Rams offense. Probably the worst the defense looked all season.

KC has Kelce and a Rice. But they aren't Nucua and Kupp. If Thuney can't go, that's huge. They're advantage is Pacheco and their interior line. Going to need Madibuike and Pierce to show up big time. When Macdonald blitzes, he can't miss. Can't have any of those Clowney instant pressure that turns onto a missed tackle, and Mahomes slipping to the outside.

I think our defense will be fine. It's Lamar and the offense that worries me. As long as Lamar can trust the guys around him, and he doesn't feel the pressure to be superman every play, they should be fine. Biggest thing, no turnovers.

[Ravens2006]

Expect the Refs to do what they can to help the KC Swifts.  Despite that disadvantage I think we are the better team and will take care of business on Sunday.

 

Absolutely ZERO doubt more of the close calls will go the Chiefs way. I expect at least 2 incomplete Mahomes passes on 3rd down to be reversed on a defensive holding / illegal contact call that could be called on either team nearly every single play... but will only get called for the Chiefs, coincidentally keeping a couple drives going.  Been watching this script since the Manning / Brady days... Mahomes is the heir apparent to the gifts...

[mdrunning]

They faced Stafford, and a fully healthy Rams offense. Probably the worst the defense looked all season.

KC has Kelce and a Rice. But they aren't Nucua and Kupp. If Thuney can't go, that's huge. They're advantage is Pacheco and their interior line. Going to need Madibuike and Pierce to show up big time. When Macdonald blitzes, he can't miss. Can't have any of those Clowney instant pressure that turns onto a missed tackle, and Mahomes slipping to the outside.

I think our defense will be fine. It's Lamar and the offense that worries me. As long as Lamar can trust the guys around him, and he doesn't feel the pressure to be superman every play, they should be fine. Biggest thing, no turnovers.

Buffalo's interior linemen were held to zero pressures yesterday on 38 rushes. In one-on-one matchups against Thuney, Buffalo's Ed Oliver had 10 rushes with no pressures, the first time he was held without a pressure since Week 13 of 2021.

[Biggsy]

Absolutely ZERO doubt more of the close calls will go the Chiefs way. I expect at least 2 incomplete Mahomes passes on 3rd down to be reversed on a defensive holding / illegal contact call that could be called on either team nearly every single play... but will only get called for the Chiefs, coincidentally keeping a couple drives going. Been watching this script since the Manning / Brady days... Mahomes is the heir apparent to the gifts...

Allen tends to get a lot of calls when he gets hit. Against KC they swallowed their whistles. Refs love them some KC. And the NFL would absolutely love to have Taylor Swift and her swarm of fans watching the Superbowl.

Mahomes and the Chiefs will try to push the spotlight on the Ravens. But I feel like all week it will be talk of Mahomes and his 6th straight AFC Championship, and possibly going for number 3. Kelce and Swift. Really hope the media eats it all up, and puts an even bigger chip on the Ravens shoulder. Really hope Lamar brings his A+ game. If we get the Lamar that played Miami, it's game over.

[SonicAttack]

The Ravens are focused, I like the Ravens minus the points. 

[Biggsy]

Just read through some KC boards. Seems they think the media loves the Ravens, and all of the pressure is on Lamar to win. And they're playing with house money.

Also seems that most KC fans think Lamar is completely incapable of passing the ball at all. Most saying to stack 8 in the box and play press man with Sneed and McDuffie on islands. I really wish the coaches for KC thought that way. Not many WR's this season have gained more separation against man than Flowers and Bateman this season. As good as Sneed and McDuffie are, trying to consistently man up a guy like Flowers isn't easy. Kid is lightning quick, and runs great routes.

I really think Spagnuolo brings a lot of blitzes though. They'll have Gay as a spy. However if they come in with no respect for Lamar's arm, they'll get beat.