The game between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs was the most anticipated matchup in Week 3. At the end of 60 minutes, the Chiefs prevailed 33-28 but what did we learn about Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in their first loss of the season?
The game was a nail-biter with the Chiefs inching out a victory in the final moments. However, at the beginning of the contest, Kansas City seized control of the game by jumping out to a 23-6 lead in the first half.
The Ravens had no answer for Patrick Mahomes and the high-flying offense of the Chiefs to start the game. Mahomes was able to carve up Baltimore's defense for 374 yards and three touchdowns as he stretches his lead in the early MVP race.
On the other hand, Jackson had some struggles with his accuracy for the first time this season. The Ravens' signal-caller completed just 22 of his 43 attempts for 263 yards with no touchdowns.
As rough an outing as he had, Jackson was able to use his magical playmaking ability to make a valiant effort to bring Baltimore back into the game. Twice in the second half, the second-year quarterback was able to evade defenders and make two incredibly low-margin plays that ended up working in his favor.
Unfortunately, those plays weren't enough to get the Ravens a win as they fell to 2-1 on the year. Their loss doesn't come without substance — there were positives to take from it.
Yes, Lamar Jackson wasn't accurate with every pass he threw after being nearly perfect in the first two weeks. But for all of the incomplete passes he made, there were phenomenal completions as well. Despite his inefficiency in Week 3, the 22-year-old quarterback is still showing growth as a passer.
Last year, any time that Lamar Jackson sensed pressure in the pocket, he was already committed to running it. Now, this season, Jackson is keeping his eyes downfield to make a better play for the offense.
Of course, the Louisville product is still going to use his legs to help his team win games. As for the Ravens, their pass rush is going to need to improve.
There were way too many plays in which the Ravens' defense allowed Mahomes to survey the field comfortably in the pocket. Altogether, Baltimore was only able to come away with one sack in the game.
It's tough enough to slow down the Chiefs but it becomes even harder when Mahomes has ample time to throw. If these teams meet again down the road, the Ravens are going to need to make a few adjustments defensively.
All in all, we learned that the Ravens are a formidable team, but they aren't in the same class as the Chiefs just yet.
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