Isaiah Likely 'Looked Like Travis Kelce'
Metaphorically and literally, the Ravens were inches from a possible road victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. However the 27-20 loss won't drown out the recognition for Ravens' budding star tight end Isaiah Likely.
On Thursday, Likely demonstrated his improved receiving and blocking abilities that have Bleacher Report comparing him to Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
"At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, Likely looked like Travis Kelce," a staff writer wrote. "… The Ravens may have found what could be a key piece for the offense this season."
While Likely was an inch shy from scoring his second touchdown with no time left. The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec and NFL.com’s Eric Edholm see him becoming a significant piece of the Ravens' offense moving forward.
"Likely showed what became apparent this summer. That he's rapidly becoming one of Jackson's favorite targets and an ascending player in the league," Zrebiec wrote. "The Ravens will have to get Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman more involved going forward, but they have to feel good about what they have in Likely."
"Likely looked like Lamar Jackson's best weapon. … Jackson gutted the Chiefs with his legs (122 yards) and his arm, especially to Likely in the second half," Edholm wrote. "Likely finished with career highs in catches (nine) and receiving yards (111), including a 49-yard catch-and-run on a scramble-drill play."
During training camp, Likely became one of Jackson's favored targets. Pressbox’s Bo Smolka sees Jackson's trust and chemistry carrying over.
"Maybe most significant, Likely showed just how much trust Jackson has in him. He was Jackson's top target against the Chiefs with 12 targets, in part because he was a good sideline option as they looked to manage the clock," Smolka wrote. "But it's notable that on two of the final three plays, with the game on the line, Jackson looked to Likely."
Don't Overreact. The Chiefs Were the Ravens' Worst Week 1 Matchup
It's no surprise the back-to-back defending champs were going to be a tough test for the Ravens. They're a challenge for any team in the NFL. But Sports Illustrated’s Connor Orr writes it wasn't just the Chiefs causing issue, but the matter of being the Ravens' first scheduled opponent.
"But what if the Chiefs were simply the worst possible matchup for Baltimore at this point in the season, and the finer points of the Ravens' overall philosophy are going to work over the long term? The Ravens went into Thursday night announcing to the NFL that they are going to negate some of the inexperience on their offensive line with a dizzying array of misdirectional blocking up front that involves almost any offensive player capable of laying a hand on someone else," Orr wrote.
"On paper, this is a solid idea, except during the very rare moments when you happen to be playing against a team with a generational talent as an interior defensive lineman (Chris Jones), who can break up the misdirectional blocking and clog up the power running game, as well as a defense that is so good at tackling in space collectively that it was able to blunt even the greatest collection of skill-position players in the NFL when it faced the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII."
The Ravens ran into one of the few teams in the NFL capable of going blow for blow with them in all three phases of the game. Orr doesn't see that being the case on a week-to-week basis.
"My question: How many more defenses on Baltimore's schedule can we honestly say are capable of doing everything Kansas City's defense did Thursday night with so much consistency that it can fend off Baltimore for four quarters? And, had Likely worn a shoe half a size smaller, we wouldn't have a single lingering question about Baltimore's offense at all," Orr wrote. "Baltimore's efforts were nearly good enough to take out the defending champions on opening night."
The Ravens went through an overhaul in the offseason, losing an AFC-high 15 free agents, along with numerous coaches. And yet, they came a play or two short from defeating the Chiefs at Arrowhead stadium. For Orr, that's good enough to compete in the late weeks of the season and beyond.
"With the kind of offseason surgery the Ravens had to do on their most critical unit, in concert with the difficulty of blocking for Jackson without a library of game reps to learn his unique tendencies and habits, the variance of possible outcomes against the Chiefs on Thursday was high," Orr wrote. "For one half, we saw what it could be at its worst. But then we saw what it could become—and that's certainly good enough to contend in the AFC."
Zach Orr Faced Tough Test in Debut
Since the 2024 schedule's release, it was known that Week 1 would be a challenge for new Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr. While the defense admittedly didn’t play to their standard, pundits saw positives to build off and similarities in the beginning of Orr's tenure and former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald's.
Zrebiec: "Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr had an awfully tough assignment in his NFL regular-season debut. All he had to do was slow down one of the most prolific head coach and quarterback duos the league has seen, while guiding a new-look coaching staff and defense. It didn't go especially well. Orr's group hung in there in the first half, forcing the Chiefs to kick two field goals and getting an interception by Roquan Smith. Then, the second half happened. The Ravens were forced to blow two timeouts in the third quarter because of confusion defensively. In the fourth quarter, a coverage bust led to a 35-yard touchdown by Worthy. Mike Macdonald's unit struggled early in his first year as a defensive coordinator, too. It's going to take some time for Orr. That was readily apparent tonight."
Russell Street Report’s Nikhil Mehta: "A few defensive lapses on Zach Orr's first go-around in the regular season were to be expected – remember Mike Macdonald's first couple of blown leads? The defense, I think, will be fine. We're still talking about Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, here. The pass rush was there, and Mahomes was incredibly difficult to wrap up, like he always is. The defense still stood strong on several high-leverage downs, [he] but needs to clean up their discipline when finishing plays."
The Baltimore Sun’s Childs Walker: "…what a pressure cooker the 32-year-old Orr stepped into — a prime-time rematch against the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, led by the best quarterback in the world. And fans would expect him to live up to the standard set by one of the most lauded young defensive minds in the sport. Never mind that Macdonald suffered growing pains — recall that blown 35-14 lead against the Miami Dolphins — in his early days as the team's coordinator in 2022. … Their impact plays were overshadowed by the lapses, but we should not ignore the promise of Orr's defense."
Lamar Jackson Already Contending for MVP
Though personal accolades aren't the goal for Jackson, his performance against the Chiefs on Thursday has pundits seeing an early start for his third MVP bid.
"Lamar Jackson showed Thursday night that he should be the front-runner to win his second straight and third NFL Most Valuable Player Award," The Baltimore Sun’s Tim Schwartz wrote.
Jackson finished the game with 273 passing yards and a touchdown and added another 122 yards rushing. Last season only once did a player throw for 200+ yards and rush for 100+ yards: it was Jackson.
"Not a winning performance, but one that might eventually help him build toward a third league MVP award," USA Today’s Nate Davis wrote.
Offensive Line Concerns Pundit
It was the first time all five starting offensive linemen were on the field for live game reps and, as expected, there were some hiccups. The Ravens' linemen won reps but Jackson was pressured often and forced to scramble or get rid of the ball quickly.
"Jackson could not look downfield, because he rarely had more than two seconds before a red jersey invaded his personal space," Walker wrote. "… With a week of focused practice, the Ravens will probably wipe out most of these alignment penalties. Their struggles against elite pass rushers won't be as easy to ameliorate. [Roger] Rosengarten, [Daniel] Faalele and left guard Andrew Vorhees will operate at deficits of power, explosiveness and experience, and even if they grow into dependable starters, it might not happen soon. This was the risk [General Manager Eric] DeCosta embraced in designing his roster, and we're seeing the short-term price."
Former NFL Players, Pundits Sound Off on NFL Officiating Emphasis on Illegal Formations
There was no better time to put the NFL world on notice of the officiating crews' 2024 emphasis on calling illegal formation penalties than on Thursday night with everyone watching. And according to the officials, the Ravens were the culprits.
Left tackle Ronnie Stanley was penalized three times for illegal formation and right tackle Patrick Mekari once.
Stanley explained his outlook on the penalties after the contest, and Head Coach John Harbaugh said he's looking forward to seeing whether they call it the same way for the whole season. Former NFL players and pundits shared their thoughts on the infractions, and some other questionable calls.
