When the Ravens opened the season 1-5, Head Coach John Harbaugh and many of the players expressed confidence that they could shake off the slow start and go on a run.
The Kansas City Chiefs had the same attitude. They also started the season 1-5, but Andy Reid's team has managed to turn around their season and rattle off seven-straight victories to put themselves in the thick of the playoff picture.
As the Chiefs come to Baltimore this weekend, they hold the top wild-card spot and have their eyes on making the postseason after a remarkable turnaround.
"We're playing the hottest team in football coming in here," Harbaugh said. "They're doing what we hoped to do after a slow start. But you know what? We have to find a way to win this football game."
What changed with the Chiefs in order to get their season back on track?
A big piece of the equation is turnovers. The Chiefs are second in the NFL with a plus-12 turnover margin, while the Ravens rank 31st in the league with a minus-12 margin.
Coaches regularly point to winning the turnover battle, and that mantra rings true in looking at the records for the two teams.
"I don't think they ever turn the ball over," Harbaugh said.
Cornerback Jimmy Smith also pointed to turnovers as the biggest aspect that has "gone wrong" for the Ravens this year, specifically in the secondary. Baltimore has just four interceptions on the season, compared to 18 for the Chiefs.
"They have a few more turnovers – way more than we do – so that's what really propelled their season," Smith said. "That has been the story that has not helped us and helped other teams. If I can pinpoint something, I would say defensively it's turnovers and big plays."
Outside of the turnover margin, the Chiefs rank in the middle of the pack for most statistical categories on offense and defense. They can run the ball, but have the 27th ranked passing offense. They have the eighth-ranked defense in the league.
The numbers don't jump off the chart, but protecting the football goes a long way when it comes to winning games.
"We definitely wish our [season] went the same way, too, but you can't really be mad at them or envy them," inside linebacker C.J. Mosley said. "They're finding ways to win, and we didn't."
Sunday's game at M&T Bank Stadium has no playoff implications for the Ravens, but the Chiefs have much at stake. They can't afford to lose any ground in the wild-card race.
The Ravens still view the game as an important piece of the season, and it's a chance to turn the season around just like they aimed to do earlier in the year.
"It's impressive what they've done, and we're looking forward to the challenge of playing them on Sunday and trying to find a way to get a win," Harbaugh said.
