After losing to the Chiefs in the 2023 AFC Championship, the Ravens were acutely aware of what was missing from their roster. This offseason, during free agency and the NFL draft, they filled those holes, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Moreover, offensive acquisitions like RB Derrick Henry are equally significant. But, apart from Henry and the other arrivals, Jason Kelce believes the Ravens have one more trick up their sleeves that the Chiefs should be aware of before their season-opener matchup.
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The Thursday Night Kickoff game between Kansas City and Baltimore is one of the noteworthy matchup schedules that the NFL has recently issued. It will be held at Arrowhead, where the Ravens haven’t won since 2012. But former Eagles center Jason Kelce feels that the departure of former Ravens DC and now-Seahawks HC, Mike Macdonald, will spell trouble for the Chiefs’ offensive front.
Jason spoke from experience on ‘NightCap’, and noted that when a team goes up against their opponent with a revamped coaching staff, the plays become very unpredictable. In this instance, Zach Orr, the former Ravens linebacker coach, will assume defensive coordinator responsibilities, and it’s safe to say the elder Kelce surely has a point.
“The first game of the year, I always hated going up against teams with brand new coaching staff,” Jason said. “Who the hell knows what’s about to happen? I mean, it’s kinda fun. It’s kinda like on the sidelines, you’re like, ‘they’re doing this. I didn’t think they were gonna be doing this.'”
In contrast, Travis Kelce—who will go on to face the Ravens in September with the hopes of a three-peat—seemed quite enthusiastic about the upcoming matchup. Given that it is the first game of the season, everyone will be healthy and energetic, which only excites the star tight end. Lamar Jackson, though, is the one person he and his Chiefs will surely keep an eye on.
Travis Kelce’s Comments on Lamar Jackson
The younger Kelce acknowledged that the Ravens boast the best rushing attack in the league and added that the addition of Derrick Henry only strengthens it. And when it comes to the 2023 MVP Lamar Jackson, he noted that when the Chiefs locked horns against him in the AFC title game last year, he appeared physically different from his college days.
According to MockDraftTable, Jackson weighed 216 pounds when he played for the Louisville Cardinals. But last year, he was actually 230 pounds. Travis noticed this ‘bulk up’ and revealed that the Ravens QB was able to break Leo Chenal’s arm tackle, despite Chenal having arguably the strongest arms in the KC clan.
“Dude, when we saw him in the AFC, he was (huge). He wasn’t a thin dude like he was Louisville in his first couple of years,” Travis said. “He bulked up. He’s breaking arm tackles.”
Fortunately for the Chiefs, Jackson has now gotten his weight down to 205 pounds, as per BaltimoreRavens.com. Less weight, meanwhile, also translates into increased agility, which the defending champs will need to offset. That said, this season’s kickoff game will surely be one for the history books.
