Ravens (7-5) at Chiefs (10-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
TV: CBS
Danny Sheridan’s line: by 7
Chiefs’ keys to victory: Find balance within the offense. The Chiefs released star RB Kareem Hunt last week after video surfaced of him shoving and kicking a woman at a Cleveland apartment building during February. Now the teams will need to find new and creative ways to balance their high-powered offense. QB Patrick Mahomes cannot sustain throwing the ball 40 times a game and expect to avoid mistakes. The answer could be getting WR Tyreek Hill more involved in the run game than he has been this season. Another option could be trying to establish a new lead running back in Spencer Ware or Darrel Williams.
Ravens’ keys to victory: Get the ground game going. In all of the Ravens’ losses this season, the common factor was the team’s lack of 100-yard rusher. With rookie Lamar Jackson taking over at quarterback and RB Gus Edwards exploding onto the stage, it won’t be difficult for the Ravens to reach those heights against the Chiefs’ porous run defense.
Matchup to watch: Chiefs RB Ware vs. Ravens LB C.J. Mosley. Mosley has quietly helped the Ravens become a top-5 rushing defense this season. With the Chiefs suddenly down a starting running back, how will Ware fare in a lead role?
Who wins? The Ravens have an opportunity to upset the Chiefs at home. They will have to play their very best football and rely on their prowess in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Expect this game to be a close, hard-fought one.
Ravens. 37-34 Chiefs RAVENS SCHEDULE
W .......... Buffalo .......... 47-3 L ..... at Cincinnati ..... 34-23 W ......... Denver ......... 27-14 W ...atPittsburgh ...26-14 L .. at Cleveland .. 12-9 (OT) W ..... at Tennessee ..... 21-0 L ..... New Orleans ..... 24-23 L ...... atCarolina ...... 36-21 L ....... Pittsburgh ....... 23-16 Nov. 11 ............. Bye ............. W ...... Cincinnati ...... 24-21 W ........ Oakland ........ 34-17 W ...... atAtlanta ...... 26-16 Dec. 9 ... at Kansas City ... 1 Dec. 16 ..... Tampa Bay ..... 1 Dec. 22 .. at Chargers .. 8:20 Dec. 30 ...... Cleveland ...... 1
W...at L.A. Chargers...38-28 W ..... at Pittsburgh ..... 42-37 W ..... San Francisco ..... 38-27 W ........ at Denver ........ 27-23 W ...... Jacksonville ...... 30-14 L .... at New England .... 43-40 W ........ Cincinnati ........ 45-10 W ........... Denver ........... 30-23 W ...... at Cleveland ...... 37-21 W ........... Arizona ........... 26-14 L ...... at L.A. Rams ...... 54-51 Nov. 25 ............... Bye .............. W ........ at Oakland ........ 40-33 Dec. 9 ......... Baltimore ......... 1 Dec. 13.L.A. Chargers .8:20 Dec. 23 ..... at Seattle ..... 8:20 Dec. 30 ......... Oakland ......... 1