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One game of the 2024 NFL season is officially in the books. And boy was it a thriller by the end, with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens coming within an inch of taking the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs to overtime. In the end, the Chiefs are 1-0, the Ravens are 0-1, and the rest of the NFL is eager to kick off the remainder of a jam-packed Week 1 slate.
Before we move on, here are five burning questions stemming from Thursday’s opener:
1. Are the Chiefs really this good (again)?
No, Kansas City wasn’t perfect against Baltimore. But come on. This is a team looking for its third straight title, and frankly, they look even more well-rounded and explosive than they did on the Super Bowl stage. Xavier Worthy wasted no time showcasing his elite speed as both a runner and receiver. Rashee Rice was automatic over the middle, looking like a true No. 1 for Patrick Mahomes. And Steve Spagnuolo’s defense remained persistent up front. Again, not a perfect debut, but pretty darn close. Which speaks to the unmatched talent, scheming and everything in between that exists in K.C.
2. Can the Ravens settle things down offensively?
Lamar Jackson was a one-man fireworks show for large parts of the Ravens’ debut, mostly with his legs as he coasted to 120+ yards on the ground. But the fact he had to run so much underscores how frantic Baltimore often appeared with the ball in its hands. Through the air, in fact, Jackson almost exclusively targeted Zay Flowers on short-area stuff before a last-gasp deep connection with Rashod Bateman. You can blame part of that on the Chiefs’ stingy defense, but it’s fair to wonder whether Jackson can survive 17+ games of playing hero ball as a scrambler, if this keeps up.
3. Will Derrick Henry’s workload ramp up?
The big man got plenty of attention this offseason, bringing his supersized frame and resume to an already-impressive rushing team, only to…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/5-burning-questions-after-chiefs-edge-ravens-in-2024-nfl-opener-can-baltimore-settle-down-offensively/
Author : Cody Benjamin
Publish date : 2024-09-06 12:20:47
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