Ravens vs. Chiefs NFL Opener: A High-Stakes Showdown

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00:00Now, let's shift gears to tonight's NFL Pain Day opener at Arrowhead between the Ravens

00:12and Chiefs.

00:13Why don't you start on the Baltimore side?

00:16I can't wait for this game.

00:18This game, by the way, will be in Chiefs' kingdom.

00:22The Ravens here is a three-point dog.

00:25They're interesting because Scott, one of the best row teams of the NFL last season

00:28at 7-1 during the regular season.

00:31It's never been a problem with Lamar Jackson, John and Harbaugh working together, with them

00:34being on the road.

00:35They don't deal with crowd noise.

00:37We know how crazy it is in Arrowhead.

00:39It's not going to be a problem.

00:40But as I told you when I was there at training camp, and other teams see it the same way,

00:45when you put Derrick Henry with Lamar Jackson and running RPOs where it's a run-pass option,

00:50is he going to hand it off, is he going to run, or is he going to throw it?

00:54I know the way their defense reacted in training camp.

00:57The defense at times had no idea what to do, as good as it's going to be.

01:01Because when you have Derrick Henry in your backfield, and I get it, some people around

01:04the league think he's not quite what he once was.

01:06He's still very good.

01:08And you've got Lamar Jackson, who's unbelievably electric with the ball in his hands.

01:14That's going to be really tough for Steve Spagnuolo, the defensive coordinator for the

01:16Chiefs tonight.

01:17They've not seen anything like this before.

01:19In fact, show me a backfield with a quarterback who runs like this and a back who runs like

01:24he can in Henry.

01:25I think that's going to be very interesting.

01:28Talking to the Ravens, they feel super good about their skill positions.

01:33We just talked about Henry, obviously, at running back.

01:35Isaiah Lightly, arguably the NFL's best backup tight end.

01:39How great was he filling in for Mark Andrews?

01:41Great athlete.

01:42They're a Big 12 personnel team.

01:44Zay Flowers had a good rookie season.

01:46Rashad Bateman is finally healthy at wide receiver.

01:49They actually have some depth at receiver.

01:51They're really good at offense.

01:52Defensively, though, the one issue is Zach Gore.

01:54There's a saying in the NFL, you don't know until you get there.

01:58So that's a little bit troublesome with Zach Gore not calling plays before Young's coordinator

02:02of the National Football League, but pretty sharp guy from what I'm told.

02:06This is a good Ravens team in the NFL's toughest division.

02:11They had the best defense.

02:12They allowed 16 and a half a game, the most sacks, the most takeaways.

02:16And you're going to tell me that they're going to, you didn't say it, but they're not going

02:20to be good because McDonald went to Seattle and that skill group of defensive players

02:25that they have, no Patrick Queen, I'll give you that, but you think they drop off that

02:29significantly?

02:30No, not that.

02:31No, no.

02:32I'm still going to pick them to win a division, but I'm not putting them in the Super Bowl.

02:35They're not going to get there.

02:37But here's the funny thing.

02:38This could be a preview of the AFC championship game.

02:41There's no question, which by the way, most likely will be played in Arrowhead.

02:45But the Chiefs, Scott, I know talking to people close to the situation, you know, replacing

02:50Tyreek Hill is tough.

02:51Okay.

02:52I give Andy Reed credit, unbelievable job of manufacturing points, playing somewhat

02:58of what we call small ball.

03:00But now they've got Xavier Worthy.

03:02Hollywood Brown's not playing with his shoulder problem.

03:05Probably going to miss a couple of weeks, but he's doing better, but he's got to get

03:08cleared medically.

03:09Once you get Hollywood Brown back with this skill group, it's going to be fantastic.

03:15Defensively, the one issue, you and I have talked about no legeris knee in the secondary.

03:18That does worry me.

03:19They're not very strong at corner, but offensively, they're going to be pretty good.

03:22But again, the Chiefs are minus three and 46 and a half.

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