Chiefs vs. Ravens: 5 questions with the enemy

Editor’s note: As we head into the week 2 Sunday Night Football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens, we welcome Kyle Barber of Baltimore Beatdown — our sister SBNation site covering the Baltimore Ravens — for Five Questions with the Enemy.

1) On a scale of 1 to 100, how terrified of Patrick Mahomes are you these days?

I think “terrified” is a silly word for it, but maybe that’s just being petty. That said, I don’t believe Ravens fans are excited to have Mahomes at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday night. He’s done an excellent job against the Ravens and it’s unlikely to change

2) Despite the injuries to its offensive weapons, do the Ravens have enough to fight fire with fire?

I’m unsure if they do. They aren’t necessarily built for a firefight, especially when both running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards suffered season-ending injuries. Had they not been out, I’d be more confident, as Dobbins was looking rather special in camp and Edwards physicality is tough to replicate. I assume Chiefs fans may scoff at me saying “running backs are the difference” but the receiving unit looks far better than last season and prior. Sammy Watkins had a solid Week 1 and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown played a great game. I think if the Ravens are healthy, it’s at least closer — but that’s pretty obvious.

3) Traditionally, the Ravens like to blitz — something that Mahomes has had a lot of success against in the past. Will the Ravens move away from that this week?

I wouldn’t expect the Ravens to fully abandon a blitzing defense but they’ll be more respectful of his abilities against the blitz. That said, the four-man rush against the Las Vegas Raiders wasn’t strong enough to pressure quarterback Derek Carr, which is frustrating. The Ravens have struggled to create four-man pressures for a while now, which is something many were accustomed to during Terrell Suggs’ time.

4) Who is the one Ravens player that we might not know about but should be fearing?

Running back Ty’Son Williams is looking good. He played a great game against the Raiders and I’m curious if they’ll utilize him more against the Chiefs. Other than that, I’m sure Chiefs fans know everybody else.

5) How does this one play out?

Chiefs win. Until the Ravens can prove they are capable of defeating the Chiefs, I am no longer picking them to win it. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has pulled out all the stops against the Ravens and I expect more of the same. Fool me three times...

Be sure to check out the answers I gave to their questions by clicking here.