The easy way is not always the Ravens' way.
They've started 1-2, and now their bandwagon has some empty seats. Nobody expected their defense to be ranked last in the NFL through Week 3. Or for Derrick Henry to fumble three times in three games.
Early season trouble, however, is not unchartered territory for Baltimore. Most players in the locker room were on the roster last season, when the Ravens started 0-2 but finished 12-5 and won the AFC North for the second straight season.
That doesn't guarantee anything for this year's Ravens, but it helps with perspective. The story of their 2025 season will have at least 17 chapters. Only three have been written.
Chapter 4 comes Sunday afternoon against the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that has been a nemesis for Baltimore in recent years. Kansas City has great barbecue, but the Ravens need to bring back a victory to get the bad taste out of their mouths.
Here are my thoughts on the Ravens heading into a pivotal game, all in 50 words or less:
- Baltimore is 9-0, including last year's playoffs, when Henry carries the ball 20 times or more. I think the Ravens should keep trusting Henry with the rock. If they pound Kansas City on the ground, they can keep Patrick Mahomes off the field and take some stress off their defense.
- I like that Henry isn't downplaying the importance of Sunday's game. "It is a huge game," Henry said. "We're 1-2. We don't want to be 1-3, and the same thing [goes] for them." The Ravens haven't been 1-3 since 2015. That's a place they want to continue avoiding.
- The Ravens' offense is scoring enough to win against anyone, and they may get Isaiah Likely back against the Chiefs. His buddy and fellow tight end Mark Andrews also broke out against Detroit with two touchdown grabs. That's another good sign for Baltimore's offense.
- Per Next Gen Stats, the Ravens had 20 missed tackles against Detroit. That's been a major problem defensively. They need to do a better job wrapping up Sunday against Chiefs like Mahomes, Isiah Pacheco, and Travis Kelce. The tackling must improve for the defense to improve.
- Better tackling would also help Baltimore's run defense. The Ravens haven't held an opponent under 100 yards rushing, after doing that in 13 of 19 games last season. The Chiefs will surely test Baltimore's run defense with Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) and Broderick Washington Jr. (ankle) both ruled out.
- The Chiefs are getting a huge weapon back Sunday in wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who suffered a shoulder injury in Week 1. Wide receivers Keon Coleman (Bills) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions) have topped 100 yards receiving against the Ravens. They can't afford to let Worthy do the same.
- Another receiver to be wary of is former Ravens wideout Hollywood Brown. He leads Kansas City in catches (19), targets (27), and is tied for the lead with 171 receiving yards. How badly would Brown like to have a big day against his former team?
- On the flip side, DeAndre Hopkins will be facing the Chiefs after playing with them last season. Hopkins has already made some spectacular catches for Baltimore. Don't be surprised to see another one on Sunday.
- We'll find out more about the Ravens' defense if they're protecting a narrow fourth-quarter lead. Mahomes has 19 fourth-quarter comebacks in his career. The Chiefs' offense hasn't clicked on all cylinders, but Mahomes is still a difficult quarterback to stop in game-winning situations.
- Lamar Jackson is 0-3 as a starter in Kansas City, but he's suffered back-to-back losses just four times during his career. The Ravens and Jackson have a history of bouncing back strong after defeats. No. 8 is playing well enough to lead Baltimore to a victory anywhere.
