Coming into the 2025 season, a battle between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens would have been billed as a clash between two of the top contenders in the AFC, but the matchup has a much different feel coming into Week 4.
Both the Chiefs and the Ravens come into this game at 1-2, meaning one of the two is very likely leaving the month of September with three losses in four games. It's a crazy thought, but it's going to be a harsh reality for one of these two contenders.
Despite the similar starts to the season, one could argue that the Ravens are still sitting in a much better position than the Chiefs coming into this game.
Baltimore is just one game out of first place in the AFC North, sitting behind the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals, but both of those teams have problems of their own. Both of their defenses have struggled mightily so far this season, and the Bengals will be without Joe Burrow for most of the season. The Cleveland Browns are also 1-2, but their offensive limitations will hurt them throughout the season.
On the other side, the Chiefs are two games back of the 3-0 Los Angeles Chargers and have already lost the first game of the session series against the Bolts, so they have a lot of ground to make up. The Denver Broncos also figure to be competitive despite a 1-2 start themselves, so these games are very important for the Chiefs early in the season.
If the Chiefs want to get a win at home on Sunday, there is one spot on the Ravens' defense that has proven to be vulnerable so far this season.
Chiefs must exploit Ravens' second outside cornerback spot
The Ravens have been vulnerable on the outside this season, specifically at the cornerback spot on the outside opposite Nate Wiggins.
Wiggins has his ups and downs as a young player, but he has held up nicely overall. Marlon Humphrey has also been solid while playing primarily in the nickel, but the third corner has been an issue for Baltimore.
Chidobe Awuzie has gotten a lot of the reps at that spot in recent weeks while Jaire Alexander has been out with an injury, but both veterans really struggled in Week 1 against the Bills. That is clearly the exploitable spot in the passing game for the Ravens, and the Bills and Lions have taken advantage of that to start the season.
The Chiefs have had big problems generating explosive plays this season both on the ground and through the air, but the Ravens defense has been allowing chunks left and right. While the Chiefs essentially have no explosive run game and are shorthanded in the receiver room, there are two players who can take advantage of this weakness.
First, Patriots castoff Tyquan Thornton has become Patrick Mahomes' favorite weapon down the field at the start of this season, with about three-quarters of his targets coming past 20 yards. He has come down with some impressive catches this season, including a great contested catch at the one-yard line against the Giants in Week 3 to set up a touchdown. He will get his chances again on Sunday to make a big impact.
The Chiefs also look like they will be getting speedy wideout Xavier Worthy back for this game after he missed the last two contests and most of Week 1 with a dislocated shoulder. Worthy isn't as much of a downfield threat as you would like from someone who runs as fast as he does, and corners can bother him with physicality due to his slight frame.
However, Andy Reid has done a good job of getting Worthy open on underneath routes and crossing routes, allowing him to use his speed after the catch with the ball in his hands. With the struggles the Ravens have had at the second corner spot, especially from a speed perspective, that could be another way to attack.
Overall, the Chiefs' biggest weakness on offense has been generating big plays. The Ravens present an opportunity to find some answers in that department, and Kansas City must take advantage if it wants to move to 2-2 on Sunday afternoon.
