Today the Baltimore Ravens became the Chiefs' latest victim on their long winning streak. The Baltimore squad was simply outplayed in their own house in almost every aspect of the game. Despite a decent performance turned it by backup-to-the-backup quarterback Jimmy Clausen, the Ravens couldn't pull it off. Bad decisions, big plays, and a costly fumble all ultimately did in the Ravens today.
On offense, quarterback Jimmy Clausen actually did surprisingly well before throwing two picks while trying to make something happen in the closing minutes of the game. At one point, Clausen's statline read like this:
- 15-23
- 65%
- 159 Yds.
- 2 TDs
- 0 INTs
- 114.2 QBR
That's nothing to scoff at, and I wouldn't exactly say it's crazy to believe that Clausen has earned the right to start in the final two games of the year. Elsewhere on offense, the receivers did fantastic. Kamar Aiken set multiple personal records with eight catches and 128 receiving yards. Players like Jeremy Butler and Kyle Juszczyk also made an imprint in the receiving game. The darker side of the Ravens offense came from the ground game this week, when Buck Allen put a ball on the ground for the second week in a row. His fumble changed the momentum of the game completely, with the Ravens driving for the go-ahead score, to being behind thanks to a fumble return touchdown. Allen didn't get off however, as he was promptly sat on the bench and stayed there for the entirety of the game. In his place, Terrance West and Terrance Magee combined for 53 yards on 11 carries.
This offensive inefficiency led to the defense being simply worn down. This already depleted defense was tired out by the Chiefs' offense almost permanent residency on the field. While a lot of the Chiefs' points came from their defense, the offense was still effective. Charcandrick West roasted the entire defense on a 38-yard score to spark the Chiefs' torrent string of scores. Alex Smith was also quiet yet effective and efficient, going 21 of 25 for 171 yards and a touchdown. The defense as a whole looked quite bland. The pass rush couldn't get home enough, accruing three total sacks on the day, one from Brent Urban and a couple from rookie Za'Darius Smith. While the secondary was effective in preventing the big play, the coverage against tight end Travis Kelce simply wasn't good enough, as he was routinely open and got six catches and over seventy yards on the day.
Ultimately, this game and the performance of the team was much like a microcosm of this season. You had some good plays, good ideas, but bad execution. Ultimately, the Ravens shot themselves in the foot once again.