Chiefs vs. Ravens: Previewing the NFL Preseason Matchup and Positional Battles

The Baltimore Ravens (0-1) and the Kansas City Chiefs (0-1) are set to meet up in Week 2 preseason action on Friday night. Both teams are looking to rebound from their Week 1 losses against the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively.

The last time these two teams met was in the Wild Card Round of last season's playoffs; the Ravens went on to win the game 30-7.

The Baltimore Ravens had a tumultuous offseason, losing veterans including tight end Todd Heap, wide receiver Derrick Mason, defensive tackle Kelly Gregg and running backs Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain to free agency. They added wide receiver Lee Evans, formerly of the Buffalo Bills, and former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams, among others.

The Ravens are hoping that this summer's rebuilding does not hinder their chances at reaching the playoffs, with the specter of division rivals and 2010 AFC champion Steelers hanging over their heads.

The Chiefs are coming off of a much-improved 2010 regular season in which they went 10-6 with the help of quarterback Matt Cassel, running back Jamaal Charles and wide receiver Dwayne Bowe.

This summer, they added the aforementioned Gregg and McClain from the Ravens, and former Arizona Cardinal wide receiver Steve Breaston, in hopes of making it to the playoffs for the second year in a row.

In the slides that follow, we will preview Friday night's matchup between the two teams.

Game Info and TV/Radio Schedule

When: Friday, August 19, 2011

Time: 7:30 pm, EDT

Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

Kansas City Radio and TV: KCTV5 in Kansas City, over 60 radio stations on the Chiefs Radio Network, see KCChiefs.com for affiliates.

Baltimore Radio and TV: WBAL-TV, WJLA-TV, WHTM-TV, 98 Rock, WBAL-1090 AM, Comcast SportsNet (delayed, 11:30 pm)

This game is also available online at NFL.com (league-wide package costs $19.99); game replay will air at 11 pm EDT Friday and 10 am EDT on Saturday on the NFL Network.

Baltimore Ravens: Key Additions and Departures

The Baltimore Ravens gambled with free agency and lost; veterans Todd Heap, Willis McGahee, Derrick Mason, Kelly Gregg and Le'Ron McClain have all found new homes (with Gregg and McClain both going to the Kansas City Chiefs). Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is still a free agent, but will more than likely not return to the team.

The Ravens did manage to acquire former Bills wide receiver Lee Evans, as well as former Dolphins running back Ricky Williams and Houston Texans fullback Vonta Leach.

On defense, they added safety Bernard Pollard, also from the Texans.

These personnel shifts may prove to be the greatest obstacle for the Ravens to overcome this season.

Kansas City Chiefs: Key Additions and Departures

The aforementioned former Ravens, Le'Ron McClain and Kelly Gregg, are significant additions to the Kansas City Chiefs roster.

Gregg, the Chiefs nose tackle, racked up 19.5 sacks and 516 tackles in three seasons with the Ravens. He missed the 2008 season after undergoing left knee surgery.

McClain averaged 3.8 yards per carry and scored 12 rushing and two receiving touchdowns since debuting with the Ravens in 2007, with his most productive season being 2008, with 10 rushing touchdowns and one receiving.

The Chiefs also added former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Steve Breaston, who has seven career touchdowns.

Kansas City was fortunate enough to maintain the bulk of their roster; their only loss of note is that of linebacker Mike Vrabel, who retired.

Baltimore Ravens Preseason Week 1

The Baltimore Ravens took on the Philadelphia Eagles in their Week 1 preseason matchup, losing 13-6. Starting quarterback Joe Flacco participated in two offensive series and went 3-of-6 for 60 yards and led the Ravens to a field goal on his first possession.

Star running back Ray Rice was held to just seven yards on five carries; newly acquired running back Ricky Williams did not take the field.

The Ravens defense, while not up to the kind of hard-hitting form they are known for, were able to hold the Eagles to just 13 points, even while matched up against a team with significant offensive depth.

One concern for the Ravens coming off of their Week 1 loss is 3rd-down conversions; against the Eagles, they were only successful three times in 12 attempts.

Another concern is backup quarterback, rookie Tyrod Taylor. In 28 attempts, he was able to gain 179 yards. However, he was sacked five times for a loss of 32 yards and two interceptions. If he is to be a viable option at No. 2 behind Flacco, he will need to work on his accuracy and ability to pick up defensive pressure.

Kansas City Chiefs Preseason Week 1

The Kansas City Chiefs were absolutely dismal in their preseason debut, losing 25-0 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In their first three possessions, the Chiefs went three-and-out once and lost two fumbles. The team managed only six 1st downs, in comparison to the Buccaneers' 18, converted only one of 10 3rd downs and managed only 137 yards of total offense.

Starting quarterback Matt Cassel made no impact, completing zero passes and rushing once for no gain. Backups Tyler Palko and Ricky Stanzi each completed 50 percent of their passes, both going 4-of-8 for 34 yards. Palko was sacked twice, Stanzi four times.

Running back Jamaal Charles did not take the field for the Chiefs. Instead, rusher Jackie Battle did most of the heavy lifting for Kansas City, racking up 40 yards on 13 rushing attempts and catching three receptions for 27 yards. Running back Thomas Jones rushed for 25 yards on two attempts.

The Chiefs defense, while giving up 25 points to the Buccaneers, had the only positive showing for the team, as they out-tackled their opponents 77 to 45, but fell short on sacks, having three to Tampa's six, and turnovers, with zero compared to Tampa's two.

Look for the Chiefs to give their offensive starters more time on the field in their Week 2 game against Baltimore.

What to Watch For: Ravens Offense

With the loss of so many key players on offense, the Baltimore Ravens will need to increase the playing time in their offensive rotation to see what strengths emerge.

Look for quarterback Joe Flacco to stay on the field for as much as the entire first half with a variety of running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends, including recent additions Lee Evans and Ricky Williams.

Last week, the Ravens gave extended playing time to tight end Dennis Pitta; expect him to get even more looks in this second game as the team searches for a successor to Todd Heap.

Also expect to see more of Tyrod Taylor; the rookie quarterback looked lost in his first preseason game, but the only way to get him more comfortable with the pro game is to give him an increased amount of on-field experience.

As the starting offensive roster still appears in flux for the Ravens, they will be showcasing a wide range of players on their depth chart.

What to Watch For: Kansas City Chiefs to Step It Up

After an embarrassing Week 1 performance, the Kansas City Chiefs will be trying to shore up the multiple loose ends that were exposed in that loss.

Look for the Chiefs offensive starters to get at least one quarter of action in their game against the Ravens; the defensive starters may see even more time.

Matt Cassel has a great opportunity to bounce back from his team's Week 1 performance in which he contributed very little. The Chiefs should also give Steve Breaston a few more looks, to see how he is incorporating himself into the offensive scheme.

The offensive scheme itself requires the starters to spend more time on the field. With their last offensive coordinator, Charlie Weis, now working with the Florida Gators, the Chiefs promoted offensive line coach Bill Muir to the position. How the offense takes to the new system is as of yet unknown, but with this second game, we should have a better idea of what has changed and what has stayed the same.

On defense, the team still needs to adjust to losing linebacker Mike Vrabel to retirement. Vrabel's presence was a major factor in outside linebacker Tamba Hali's 14 sacks in 2010—the best in the AFC—and without him, the fear is that Hali's production might go down.

Look for Justin Houston and Andy Studebaker to step up and try to take the starting position that Vrabel vacated. This could prove to be major trouble for the sack-prone Ravens quarterback Tyrod Taylor and the Ravens' shaky offensive line.

Positional Battles: Baltimore Ravens Tight Ends

The Baltimore Ravens have six tight ends on their roster: Dennis Pitta, Jonathan Stupar, Johdrick Morris, Ed Dixon, Davon Drew, and Kris Wilson.

One of these players will end up taking the starting tight end position left vacant after veteran Todd Heap was lost to free agency.

Last week, Dennis Pitta saw the most action and had the greatest success, followed by Kris Wilson, who had three receptions for 29 yards.

Look for both tight ends, and perhaps most of the six, seeing significant playing time on Friday, with Pitta and Wilson most likely to work with the starters.

The tight end position is exceptionally important for the Ravens; Heap was an integral part of the Ravens' passing game, logging 41 touchdowns and 467 receiving yards in his ten seasons with the team. They will be looking to place a tight end in the starting position who can mimic this type of production.

Positional Battle: Kansas City Chiefs' Outside Linebackers

Already noted as a significant loss, the hole left by linebacker Mike Vrabel is an important one for the Chiefs to fill if they want to have as explosive of a pass rush as they had in the 2010 season.

Top contenders for the position, Justin Houston and Andy Studebaker, join Cameron Sheffield as the team's roster of left-side outside linebackers.

Houston, a rookie, had ten sacks last year as a Georgia Bulldog; fourth-year veteran Studebaker came off the Chiefs' bench in 2010 and recorded 2.5 sacks.

Expect to see a lot of pass rushing and linebacker blitzes on Friday night, as the Chiefs have a difficult and important decision to make at the position.

One key to who may get the starting slot: If linebacker Tamba Hali gets free and can get a hit on Joe Flacco or Tyrod Taylor, note who is complimenting him on the left side.

Player To Watch: Ravens Running Back Ricky Williams

With the Ravens losing two of the major components of their running game, Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain, building a solid corps of running backs to complement starter Ray Rice is a major priority for the Ravens.

Ricky Williams, most recently with the Miami Dolphins, is a veteran running back with 10 seasons of NFL experience. While he has slowed down with age, he will fill an important role for the Ravens and take pressure off of Rice.

Look for him to get plenty of carries while the Ravens continue to scout his talents and find the best way to incorporate him into their offensive game plan.

Player To Watch: Chiefs Quarterback Matt Cassel

Matt Cassel had extremely limited playing time last week, and accomplished very little. As the de facto leader of the Chiefs offense, look for Cassel to have increased playing time and with it, increased success in his Week 2 game.

He needs to connect with his proven playmaker, Dwayne Bowe, as well as work on increasing the chemistry with recent addition Steve Breaston.

Cassel's increased presence on the field assures the Chiefs a better showing than they had in Week 1. It is also important for him to test out the team's new offensive scheme in extended, in-game situations.

The Chiefs need to show that they can still make plays. Cassel, as the team's biggest playmaker, will have a lot to prove as he tries to avenge not only the team's Week 1 loss, but their loss to the Ravens in last year's playoffs.

Prediction

Both the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs showed significant weakness in their respective Week 1 losses.

The Ravens need to improve on both sides of the ball. Their defense was inconsistent, and unable to stop Michael Vick's passing attack last week. While Cassel is not as dangerous as Vick, he has a strong arm and can make big plays, and the Ravens defense should not underestimate him.

Similarly, the Ravens offense has to be more consistent. With Joe Flacco seeing increased playing time this week, some of those kinks should appear smoothed. However, once Tyrod Taylor takes the field in his stead, the Ravens need to keep him protected. Taylor needs more time in the pocket, both to make plays and to just feel more comfortable in his role.

The Chiefs need to show improvement on offense and defense as well. With Matt Cassel spending more time on the field, they should be able to better advance the ball and have more scoring opportunities.

The defense will be sending more pressure, not just to establish a successor to Mike Vrabel, but also to exploit the glaring weaknesses in Taylor's passing game and the Ravens' ability to keep him protected.

Because of this defensive pressure, I believe the Chiefs will be able to pull out a narrow victory, 17-13.