After a long offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs are just days away from their highly anticipated home opener against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. As they embark on their journey for a third consecutive championship, the Chiefs are focused on getting off to a strong start — a sharp contrast to last year when they stumbled out of the gate with a Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions.
This time around, they’re determined to set a different tone from the very beginning.
“We want to start off fast,” said linebacker Nick Bolton. “Last year, we started slow, and it kind of became our thing. First quarter, first half, first half of the year, we just started off slow, and we want to change that this year.”
The home opener against the Ravens will not be easy.
Baltimore ended last season as one of the league’s hottest teams, winning six out of their last seven regular-season games. They clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC and advanced to the conference championship game, where they would eventually lose to the Chiefs 17-10.
The sting of that loss lingered with the Ravens all offseason long, so the Chiefs expect to see a very motivated Baltimore team on Thursday.
“You love playing great teams,” said linebacker Drue Tranquill during Sunday’s media session. “You want to play the best. Certainly, they were one of the best teams in the AFC last year. We had a good bout with them in the AFC Championship Game, and I’m sure they’ve had this game circled for the entire offseason. So, we’ll be ready to go. It’s going to be exciting. Our fans are going to be there rocking. It’ll be a good game.”
The biggest difference this time around will be the Raven’s offseason addition of All-Pro running back Derrick Henry. The four-time Pro Bowler adds even more firepower to an already potent offense led by reigning MVP Lamar Jackson, who himself rushed for 821 yards and five touchdowns last season.
“You add King Henry to the picture, and a team that loves to run the ball is probably going to run the ball even more,” Tranquill remarked. “He’s a big, physical back. We’re going to have to be sound tacklers and not let him get a good head of steam going downhill. He’s a great player and adds a lot to their offense.”
Success on Thursday will require a collective effort from the Chiefs’ defense, with Tranquill stressing the importance of discipline and teamwork.
“We want to play fast, physical, and assignment-sound football,” Tranquill said. “They’re going to throw a lot of different things at us—shifts, motions, eye candy. We have to be sound in our assignments and play well as a unit.”
George Karlaftis echoed these sentiments, highlighting the challenge that lies ahead.
“They’re a heck of a football team,” said the defensive end. “We have a lot of respect for them. We faced them in the AFC Championship not too long ago, so we’re fairly familiar with them. They’re a tough, physical team. They can run the football, and they’ve got weapons on offense. We’ll have our hands full.”
As the Chiefs prepare for the field, the stage is set for a thrilling showdown between two AFC powerhouses. With a chance to start the season on the right foot, Kansas City’s defense knows what’s at stake, and they’re ready for the challenge.
“I think it’s going to be a bit different this time,” Bolton noted. “They’re going to attack us differently. They’ve got new additions on the O-line and at running back, which presents new challenges for us. It’s going to be one of those games where we have to bring our A-game.”
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