NFL Sunday Night Football Week 2: Three matchups to look forward to
The Sunday Night Football is the biggest primetime event for the NFL weekend. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens will matchup in Week 2 in what should be a great matchup between the two AFC powerhouses.
The Chiefs won a close affair against the Cleveland Browns to start their season, while the Ravens suffered a tough loss against the Las Vegas Raiders in a game where they had every chance to win.
Both teams are coming from different openings to the season, but they have enough quality to win this game, especially with their high-powered offenses. Check out the three specific matchups you should pay attention to during the game - the team who has more success in those matchups will likely win the game
3 Matchups to observe during Chiefs @ Ravens
Matchup #1 - Patrick Mahomes vs. Lamar Jackson
The two biggest stars of the game are the young quarterbacks who changed their franchise's fortunes. Mahomes and Lamar will face off for the fourth time during his career, and the retrospect for the Ravens' quarterback isn't pretty. Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have won the three contests between them so far.
Both Mahomes and Jackson have won league MVPs during their careers so far. However, only Patrick has won the Super Bowl, while Lamar won his first playoff game as recently as last season. They're both special in their own ways.
The Chiefs' quarterback is known for his scrambling ability and to throw precise deep bombs out of different platforms. Lamar, on the other hand, is known for his rushing ability because of his speed and ability.
Mahomes has had the edge in their career comparisons so far, but Lamar is a brilliant quarterback as well who has done a lot during a short period of time.
Matchup #2 - Alejandro Villanueva vs. Chris Jones
Villanueva was way below-average during his first start with the Ravens on Monday, where he was completely beaten by Maxx Crosby while playing at right tackle. With Ronnie Stanley's injury, he will move to the left, his natural position, but his job won't get any easier.
Maxx Crosby: 13 pressures vs the Ravens in Week 1
Most among all defenders 🥇
(📸 @Raiders) https://t.co/3JMnVGogCN
Villanueva will face an individual battle against Chris Jones in most of the snaps, and Jones is one of the best pass rushers in the entire NFL. In the season opener against the Browns, Jones amassed two sacks, two quarterback hits and three tackles, becoming a constant presence in Cleveland's backfield.
Villanueva will feel more comfortable playing in his natural spot, but he has to improve massively for the Ravens offense to have any chance of keeping up with the Chiefs.
Matchup #3 - Chiefs' offensive line vs. Don Martindale blitzes
This matchup has been a constant problem for the Ravens every time they face Mahomes. No defensive coordinator uses more blitzes than Don Martindale for the Ravens, but this strategy seems wasteful against the Chiefs because of how well Mahomes performs against the blitz.
The key to beating Mahomes, like the Buccaneers proved in the Super Bowl, is to pressure him with a four-man rush and keep the receivers covered for as long as a secondary can, which obviously is way easier said than done. The dilemma for Martindale is: should he keep sending blitzes hoping to affect Mahomes' timing, or should he sit back and hope his pass rushers win their duels individually to create pressure?
The #Ravens blitzed on 47.5% of their plays since 2018, most in NFL.
▪️Patrick Mahomes vs Baltimore blitz: 134.0 passer rating
▪️All other QBs: 74.5 passer rating https://t.co/lg70ptNJeg
The strategy that Martindale employs, and its success, will determine how the Chiefs' offense will play on Sunday Night.