Mink: If I had to pick one word to describe the Ravens' mentality entering the 2024 season, it would be "hungry."
The Ravens were the best team in the league last year. They were the best team in 2019, too. But they've learned that the best team doesn't always win, or even reach, the Super Bowl. That has left a bitter taste in many mouths, particularly the veterans who have been in Baltimore for both seasons, such as Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews, and Marlon Humphrey. Roquan Smith wasn't in Baltimore in 2019, but I put him in that group too as the de facto leader of the defense and an extremely prideful player who hated losing to Kansas City on his home turf last season.
Those players are the heartbeat of the Ravens locker room, and they're all demanding excellence from their teammates every day to push them over the top and reach their Super Bowl goals. The Ravens are a tight-knit group. The locker room has good vibes, and they have fun being around each other. But you can sense the business-like determination of this group as it heads to Kansas City looking to beat the team that dashed its dreams last season.
Mink: It's funny you ask this question because I asked Humphrey (essentially) the same thing. Here was his answer:
"For me, personally, I don't think it will really be a fueling thing for me. I just think it's kind of cool," Humphrey said. "Obviously, it's not cool for us, but it just shows who you're playing. You're playing the defending Super Bowl Champs, and that's a ceremony that you want to be a part of, but you want to be on the other side. Wanting that so bad, I think it will be bittersweet to go out there when they're celebrating their Super Bowl thing and hoping – fast forward a year later – you could be doing the same."
This pre-game moment, if the Ravens are actually on the field for it, will hit players differently. Some will take it as motivation. Some, like Humphrey, may take it as inspiration. There's no doubt that it will resurface some of that bitter taste.
Brown: I expect Ricard to be an integral part of the offense, regardless of how the offensive line performs.
Ricard is a four-time Pro Bowl fullback and one of the NFL's most devastating blockers. To your point, his ability to move across formations helps the offensive line at the point of attack, and his role could expand as a lead blocker for Derrick Henry.
In Todd Monken's first season as offensive coordinator, Ricard played at least 35% of the offensive snaps in 11 of 17 games and was named second team All-Pro. He played 54% of the snaps in Baltimore's playoff victory over the Houston Texans in January. Ricard may not be on the field as much he was during his Pro Bowl seasons (2019-22), but I think he'll remain a vital part of making the running attack go.
Brown: Trying to contain Kelce has been a headache for the Chiefs' opponents for a decade, which is why he'll be a first ballot Hall of Famer. He's had at least 1,000 yards receiving in seven of the last eight seasons, and he's a master at finding open spaces when Patrick Mahomes uses his mobility to extend plays.
Two of the Ravens' best players, Kyle Hamilton and Brandon Stephens, figure to be among those assigned to defend Kelce on Thursday night. However, the Ravens need to do a better job on Kelce than they did during January's AFC Championship, when Kelce caught 11 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown.
New Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr and the coaching staff have undoubtedly spent plenty of time thinking about Kelce. They may double-team him more and disguise their defensive looks differently. While Kelce's going to make plays, finding a way to contain him on third down and in the red zone will be a key to the game.
"It's a patience thing," Hamilton said this week of battling with Kelce. "Same as with anybody. It's being patient, trusting your game."
