Thirty NFL teams and their fans will be watching from home as the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles square off in Super Bowl LVII.
Whenever you're not in the Super Bowl, you're thinking about how you could have been in that position or how to get there.
Here are 10 Ravens thoughts on Super Bowl LVII, all in 50 words or less:
The Chiefs and Eagles had different roster blueprints. The Chiefs have an MVP quarterback on a massive contract, which led to trading star receiver Tyreek Hill. Patrick Mahomes was good enough to overcome. The Eagles went "all-in" to surround third-year quarterback Jalen Hurts with playmakers and stack the defense.
The Ravens are not an "all-in" team. Eric DeCosta said the Ravens won't mortgage the future for a title shot. The goal is to be competitive every year. Still, he's been aggressive in free agency and at the trade deadline (e.g. Marcus Williams, Roquan Smith, Marcus Peters, Yannick Ngakoue).
Baltimore could have been in position to make a trade like the Eagles did for A.J. Brown, but COVID hampered at least one year to maximize Lamar Jackson's rookie contract. Because of COVID-impacted declining revenue, the salary cap dropped in 2021. That was a prime window. COVID ruins everything.
How does Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce get open so much? Much like Mark Andrews in Baltimore, Kelce was clearly the Chiefs' top receiving threat after the Hill trade, yet still posted 1,338 receiving yards. Whoever the Ravens hire at offensive coordinator will look to give Andrews the Kelce treatment.
The Chiefs' offensive personnel bore similarities to the Ravens' this season. They traded their No. 1 receiver, like Baltimore did with Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, and their tight end was their top threat. Kansas City's wide receiver corps probably didn't rank much higher among pundits than Baltimore's when the season began.
One person who knows how to maximize an offense built like this is Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who is reportedly still a "prime" candidate for the Ravens' OC job if he doesn't become the Colts' head coach. If the Chiefs offense thrives in the Super Bowl, his stock rises.
The other Kelce, Eagles center Jason Kelce, is a huge component of a potent Philly rushing attack. A six-time Pro Bowler known for his elite movement skills, Kelce is who the Ravens hope Tyler Linderbaum becomes. Kelce weighs 10 pounds less than Linderbaum, who is off to an excellent start.
The Eagles led the NFL with 70 sacks. The Chiefs were second with 55. Last year's Super Bowl was won with a "sack" by the Rams' Aaron Donald. In Super Bowl LV, the Buccaneers' pass rush tormented Mahomes in a dominant victory. The Ravens' pass rush is still a need.
Former Ravens Orlando Brown Jr. and Brandon Williams will suit up for the Chiefs in their first Super Bowl. It's a dream come true for Brown, who is carrying his dad's legacy. Zeus Sr. never reached the big game. Williams was drafted months after the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII.
Two Black quarterbacks will play in the Super Bowl for the first time, and Hurts would become the fourth Black quarterback to win one (Doug Williams, Russell Wilson, Mahomes). If anybody still questions whether Black quarterbacks are capable, that should be put to rest. Let's hope Lamar Jackson is next.
