The Baltimore Ravens always seem to fall just short of exceeding expectations. Baltimore could not put away Buffalo in Week 1 despite a fantastic offensive performance. It was a similar story on Monday Night Football against the Lions. The Ravens played well, but their defense could not stop the Lions from running all over them.
Now the Ravens are sitting at 1-2 and are looking vulnerable early in the 2025 season. The AFC has been the more competitive conference for several seasons now, so falling behind early is bad news for Baltimore. Especially with the Kansas City Chiefs rolling into town in Week 4.
Oddly enough, the Chiefs find themselves in a similar situation to the Ravens.
Kansas City is also 1-2 and are looking similarly vulnerable. In fact, the situation might be more desperate for the Chiefs. They suddenly have a powerhouse division rival in the Chargers who are 3-0. Kansas City also is at the bottom of the barrel with their wide receiver talent, which has their offense stuck in second gear.
But there is one area where the Ravens have an advantage. And they'll need to exploit it early and often if they want to get past the Chiefs.
Will it be enough to get a huge Week 4 win?
Below we will explore the one matchup that the Ravens must exploit to defeat the Chiefs in Week 4.
Ravens must punish Chiefs with Derrick Henry in running game
The Ravens must lean on their running game to get by the Chiefs.
It is rare in the recent history between these two teams for the Chiefs to have an offense that isn't very dangerous. Knowing that, and using the run game to exploit it, could give the Ravens a straightforward path to victory.
Baltimore is built to run the football. Derrick Henry is a special player, even in his 30s, and Lamar Jackson is a special runner at the quarterback position.
The Ravens are one of the NFL's most efficient running attacks, averaging 5.3 yards per carry after three games. That makes running the football a good bet on most downs, assuming they can remain efficient.
Henry in particular has been dominant this season, when he isn't fumbling the football of course. He gashed the Bills for 169 rushing yards and two touchdowns, proving that he's still an elite runner.
History is on Henry's side too.
Henry has dominated the Chiefs throughout his career. According to StatMuse, Henry has 91 carries for 493 yards and seven touchdowns against Kansas City. That's good for 5.4 yards per carry.
Simply put, the Ravens' offensive game plan could be as simple as “prove that you can stop Derrick Henry.” With several counter plays built off looks where Kansas City loads the box.
I would also love to see the Ravens used more designed running plays with Lamar Jackson. The combination of Henry and Jackson unlocks basically every running concept an offensive coordinator can imagine. If Baltimore is creative enough, they should be able to pound the rock all day long.
Will leaning on the running game be enough to get past Chiefs?
But why exactly is the running game so important against Kansas City?
There are a few compelling reasons to keep the ball on the ground.
First, and perhaps most importantly, it counters Kansas City's biggest strength. Steve Spagnuolo is still an excellent defensive play caller known for dialing up exotic blitzes.
Deploying a lot of blitzes can be risky against a quarterback like Lamar, but it can also provide huge rewards. But that is mostly true on passing plays, not running plays.
When defending against the run, gap integrity and fundamentals are much more important than simply sending the house. Therefore, if the Ravens focus on running the ball, they can neutralize the Chiefs' schematic advantage with their blitzes.
And that's not the only perk of running the ball.
The Ravens can easily control the clock if they establish the run early in the game. That could allow them to dictate the pace of the game, which has benefits on both offense and defense.
Keeping Patrick Mahomes on the sideline is an advantage enough for Baltimore's defense. But the Ravens can also force the Chiefs to get into a pass-happy offense if they fall behind early. And especially if they cannot hold up against the run.
Baltimore's defense would benefit from the certainty that Kansas City will throw a ton of passes on offense.
Meanwhile, a healthy diet of running plays could tire out Kansas City's defense, making them even more susceptible to additional running plays.
I know a lot of this is fundamental football strategy. It is also much easier said than done.
But I don't think the Ravens need to complicate matters ahead of this weekend's matchup against the Chiefs.
Run the ball down their throats and get the win.
