Official Chiefs vs. Ravens Game Day Thread 10-07-12

[TopekaRoy]

Kansas City Chiefs (1-3)

vs.
Baltimore Ravens (3-1)


Sunday, October 7, Noon Central Time

at

Arrowhead Stadium, Kansa City, MO


on CBS


Watch online: http://Kansas City Chiefs vs Baltimo... Stream Online

[TopekaRoy]

Team Leaders
Chiefs
Offense:
Passing
Matt Cassel

94-161, 1078 yds, 5 TDs, 7 INTs

Rushing
Jamaal Charles

72 carries, 411 yds, 2 TDs

Receiving
Dwayne Bowe

25 rec, 342 yds, 3 TDs

Defense:
Tackles
Derrick Johnson

32 tackles (25 solo)

Sacks
Justin Houston

4 sacks

Interceptions
Stanford Routt

and
Brandon Flowers

1 INT each

Full team stats

[TopekaRoy]

Ravens
Offense:
Passing
Matt Flacco

99-156, 1269 yds, 7 TDs, 3 INTs

Rushing
Ray Rice

34 carries, 317 yds, 3 TDs

Recieving
Torrey Smith

16 rec, 332 yds, 3 TDs

Defense:
Tackles
Ray Lewis

33 tackles (26 solo)

Sacks
Dannell Ellerbe

2.5 sacks

Interceptions
Ed Reed

2 INTs

Full Team Stats

[TopekaRoy]

Notable Quotables
Chiefs: "I understand that there's a lot of disappointment out there and I'm disappointed as well. We're going to try to work to get it better. I still think that we have talent on the team, but the talent has to play better."

—Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel after his team went 1-3 to start the season.

Ravens: "He's a star. He's one of the premier players in the NFL and has been for a number of years. He's a guy that plays big. He's got great catch radius."

—Ravens coach John Harbaugh on wide receiver Anquan Boldin.

Spread: Ravens by 7

Game Day Forecast: Sunny, 57 degrees

ESPN Preview
Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs - Preview - October 07, 2012 - ESPN

After struggling in their lone road game, there is some concern with how the Baltimore Ravens' no-huddle offense will perform Sunday at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium, historically one of the league's loudest venues.

Although the noise can be deafening, the fans there haven't had much to cheer about.

Coming back from a well-deserved break, the rejuvenated Ravens try to again make things difficult for Matt Cassel, whose turnovers have been one of the biggest reasons for the Chiefs' slow start.

Baltimore (3-1) has been off since beating Cleveland 23-16 last Thursday, its fourth game in 18 days. The veteran defense, led by 37-year-old Ray Lewis, admitted being a bit winded at the end of the game as the Browns' last-ditch pass attempt from the Ravens' 18-yard line fell incomplete.

"I know a lot of guys out there were fighting fatigue," safety Ed Reed said.

Coach John Harbaugh gave his team last weekend off to rest and get healthy before beginning a stretch of three of four games on the road.

The only time the Ravens have played away from Baltimore -- in Philadelphia on Sept. 16 -- their offense stalled, totaling a season-low 325 yards while turning the ball over twice in a 24-23 loss. In their three games at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens have averaged 32.7 points and 457.0 yards with two total turnovers.

Crowd noise forced Joe Flacco and the offense to huddle up at times in Philadelphia, and Harbaugh expects similar challenges at Arrowhead.

"The times we've played there, it's been really loud," Harbaugh said. "It's one of the great venues in the NFL. It's a beautiful setting, it's traditional and it's really, really red. Our guys will have to be ready for that."

Despite Kansas City's home-field advantage, the Ravens had little trouble in their last game there, winning 30-7 in a 2010 wild-card game. Flacco passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns, Ray Rice finished with 99 yards from scrimmage and a score while Baltimore picked Cassel off three times.

While Arrowhead still gets loud, much of the noise there this year has been boos directed at Cassel.

The embattled quarterback has thrown seven interceptions and has fumbled three times, accounting for two-thirds of the team's league-high 15 turnovers. The Chiefs (1-3) have been outscored 77-44 in losing their two home games, and have lost six of their last seven at Arrowhead.

"It starts with me," said Cassel, who was intercepted three times in last Sunday's 37-20 loss to San Diego. "I've got to do a better job of protecting the football and putting our team in a better situation to be successful."

Coach Romeo Crennel felt the need to defend Cassel, opening his postgame press conference by stating he would remain the starting quarterback without even being asked.

"We just have to get him to be more consistent," he said.

Cassel wasn't the only one at fault Sunday, as Jamaal Charles fumbled twice -- part of a six-turnover performance by the Chiefs.

Cleaning up their miscues against a Ravens team that has forced eight turnovers seems like a tall order. As does finding room for Charles, who has run for 325 yards in the last two games but now faces a Baltimore defense that's allowed 2.4 yards per carry in its last two.

The Ravens' offense has been far more efficient.

Flacco has completed 28 passes in each of the past two games, totaling 738 yards. Torrey Smith was on the receiving end of 12 of those completions, accumulating 224 yards, while Anquan Boldin had 13 receptions for 179 yards.

None of this bodes well for Kansas City, which has allowed 10 passing TDs -- tied for second-most in the league.

The Chiefs also have the difficult task of containing Rice, who is averaging 5.0 yards per carry. He had 108 yards on 19 attempts in his only regular-season game against the Chiefs, a 38-24 win in 2009.

Flacco passed for 307 yards with three TDs.

[70 chiefsfan70]

Great job putting this together, as always I appreciate this. Go Chiefs! I see an upset in the making!

Please nobody burst my bubble, as this could happen.


GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!

[AkChief49]

Okay Chiefs. Here's the deal. Monday is my birthday and all I want is a win. Just do it!!

[BoltWalt]

I think of this game as both a trap game and a revenge game. A trap in that this Chief team is ready to release their anger on a team that they certainly still want revenge upon for ending their trip to the playoffs two years ago. I am pulling for you Chiefs, you can do this

[dl89]

They can do it, but they won't. But I love the enthusiasm. We still give up too many pass plays in the middle of the field, and Flacco is 3rd out of all QBs in passing yards. If we get down early, we'll be relying way too much on Cassel's arm to win.

[#58ChiefsFan]

Ravens -7 sure looks like some easy money.

[NJChiefs]

Total offense: 418 ypg. Total defense: 334 ypg. Turnover differential -13. Very simple. Win the turnover battle and we win the game. It's really not that complicated.