Knee-Jerk Reactions: Chiefs 37 Ravens 20

The Ravens fell to 1-3 with a 37-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4. RSR staff react to the loss here…

Derek Arnold

We’re supposed to be in the golden era of Baltimore sports. Instead, the Orioles won 75 games, and now the Ravens are looking like the biggest disappointment in the entire NFL, and of their own 30-year history. Everyone is hurt (soft), they continue to get completely exposed/out-coached by the conference’s elite, and the season is quickly spiraling.

Even before Lamar (and everyone else) left the game, it was clear where this was headed. How does Todd Monken STILL seem surprised that Steve Spagnuolo is going to bring pressure? Third/fourth and one and you take Derrick Henry off the field?! Just ineptitude on full display. After Lamar’s ill-advised interception down the right sideline to Mark Andrews (with the Ravens still in the lead), we all knew what was coming. More of the same. Henry abandonment, the defense being a sieve, yadda, yadda, yadda.

The Chiefs hadn’t scored more than 22 points in a game all season. They had 20 in the first half against Zach Orr‘s joke of a unit, including several more completely disrespectful (warranted) fourth-down conversions. The Ravens keep setting franchise records for points allowed in the first X games of the season.

It was 7-0 Ravens at one point. From then until the Justice Hill garbage-time score, it was was 37-13 KC.

Everyone feeling properly spoiled??

Jason Woolbert

Sometimes you just put down the game notes and analysis, because the problem is bigger than anything specific.  This is such a case.  The Ravens were completely unprepared, outside of the first offensive drive, which was scripted.  The best example of this would be the two delay-of-game penalties in the same possession, but there are many others that can be pointed out.  Neither the offense nor the defense knew what they were supposed to do.  Bad body language often leads to injuries, and that also happened today.  One has to wonder at this point if the locker room is lost.

Hopefully this is the low point of the season, but I don’t think so.  The Texans are next, followed by the Rams, and this team is staring at 1-5 going into the bye week.  The only way the season turns around is if a major change is made somewhere.  That’s simply where the team is.

Rob Shields

This will be a “sky is falling” week in Baltimore and perhaps, rightfully so.

I never expected them to win this game, but I thought it would be close. Playing most of the game without 6 defensive starters and then losing a 7th in Wiggins was just too much to overcome.

You then lose Stanley early and, of course, you lost Lamar for nearly the entire second half.

How bad are the injuries to Wiggins (broken elbow or a bruise?), Roquan and Humphrey?  Any chance they play next week?  Were they just held out because the game looked to be out of hand?

Another thing that comes from today is that Lamar/Monken continue to look awful against Spags and the Ravens continue to be completely out-coached by the Chiefs. Harbaugh and his staff are looking awful right now, with or without the injuries.

This doesn’t change where I think the Ravens end up.  They just lost a game on a short week to a contender and are missing a lot of guys.  I still think they can/will win 11+ games and win the division…but they will lose in the playoffs early.  Hopefully that will finally spell the end of Harbaugh and this staff.

Jared Pinder

I mean what is there to say at this point? Back-to-back embarrassing losses and a season filled with Super Bowl aspirations is down the drain after four games. A certain group of people who like the taste of boots will blame the injuries but we are so beyond that. This team has looked unprepared and not ready to play in consecutive weeks. Zach Orr just straight up stinks, however Todd Monken is really starting to press my buttons as well. He has no game plan when it gets down to the red zone and his play calling is awful in those situations.

Of course the head of all of this is John Harbuagh who has just run out of time. This team isn’t going anywhere and this falls on the heads of the head coach and his staff who are so stubborn that they have turned this once great organization into a joke.

I really hope Steve is mad and makes some drastic changes because they need it.

Nick Polinsky

Man oh man. It just gets worse and worse. The first drive of the game injected all of us with a false sense of optimism. Everything after that was a disaster.

Lamar once again just looked confused. I’m not sure if it’s as simple as no one can get open, but he keeps holding the ball entirely too long when there’s nothing there. As is typical in the ugly Ravens losses, Derrick Henry was completely abandoned in the run game.

Defensively, Marlon Humphrey was getting beat early, then got injured. The front 7 was ravaged to begin with, but it only got worse when Roquan Smith went down, though Smith had made very little impact up to that point. The three good teams the Ravens have faced have all completely walked down this defense time and time again.

I’m not a big reactionary firing guy, but even I feel like something needs to change. I love Zach Orr and he’s a great guy but he simply isn’t a good defensive coordinator. Everyone also seems fairly unmotivated. I don’t know if it’s a John Harbaugh problem but his seat is gradually increasing a few degrees in temperature every week.

Thankfully, the schedule lightens up. Out of the Ravens’ seven upcoming opponents only the Rams and Bears have really looked formidable. I still don’t really doubt that the Ravens can turn it around in the middle part of the season, but if you drop too many games early then it may be too late to salvage the season.

Kevin McNelis

Woof.

The last couple weeks has felt like rock bottom from at least a defensive standpoint, but it turns out there was plenty of room to keep digging.

The first offensive drive’s success wasn’t enough to fool any of us into thinking this game would go the way we wanted it to. As soon as the defense took the field, it was clear that we’d see the same track meet we’ve been seeing with the secondary just chasing receivers as they pull away.

Roquan is banged up. Ronnie Stanley is probably nursing the same ankle injury that sidelined him for the better part of two years. Marlon had to seek medical attention after getting burnt to a crisp again. Lamar exited the game, and my gut says it’s because he just didn’t want any part of this game anymore.

We’re in trouble, Flock. Starting 1-3 is a significant blow to their potential postseason hopes.

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