Chiefs Cruise Past Ravens for 8th Straight Victory

The Kansas City Chiefs are winners of seven in a row and now face a Baltimore Ravens team that’s coming off a 35-6 loss to Seattle. In Baltimore’s 20th season, it was the Ravens’ worst home performance since 1997, when they lost four games and tied one at Memorial Stadium.

So, naturally, the Chiefs have not lost since.

“He is just fighting his tail off every single play”, Yanda said. “But you’ve got to do it”. The defense-which was missing key players such as Justin Houston and Husain Abdullah-forced three turnovers, produced two sacks and scored twice. The Chiefs were able to go into Baltimore and beat the Ravens 34-14 but the game was much closer than the score indicates. The Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets are also 8-5 in a three-way fight for two spots in the AFC Wild Card picture, but if each team were to win out and finish 11-5, the Chiefs would be one of the two teams to advance based on tiebreakers.

The touchdown, of course, wouldn’t have happened without linebacker Derrick Johnson thumping the ball loose. When a team like this is playing with determination, confidence and fire at exactly the right time of the year, it can be a downright nightmare.

Suddenly, that 1-5 start seems like a distant memory. It made my job very easy. Both teams were expected to challenge for a playoff berth if not a division title but things have not gone as planned especially for the Ravens. “They’ve taken advantage of opportunity and they’ve done that really all year”. That’s What I REID Into It for this week. “Everybody knew what this team was capable of”, Maclin said. “We were at Minnesota that week and it was another disappointing loss”.

A LITTLE EMPATHY: John Harbaugh is part of Andy Reid’s coaching tree, having served as his assistant in Philadelphia before taking over the Ravens.

Then they won just one game.

Smith was efficient again Sunday, connecting on 21 of 25 passes.

The three giveaways left Baltimore with a minus-15 differential for the season.

For the sixth time during the eight-game winning streak, the Chiefs didn’t commit any turnovers.

West took the ball 38 yards for a touchdown to put the Chiefs up 7-0 early in the first quarter, marking the sixth time this season the Chiefs scored on the opening drive. On their ensuing possession, facing a fourth-and-9, they strangely attempted a fake punt run. They also began the day ranked in the league’s top 10 in rushing, scoring and total defense. The Chiefs, on the other hand, have grabbed the AFC by the throat and are refusing to let go.

“It changed that game for the rest of the day, basically, ” Smith said. “I am proud of my record and my teams and the things they have accomplished, but this is a new era, a new team, a new quarterback, new coaches”.

The Chiefs will go for their ninth straight win next Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, 3-10, before facing the Oakland Raiders, 6-7, in their regular-season finale.

“We work on that type of scenario in practice”, Aiken said. In reality, it was a thoughtful and accurate answer, something we rarely get from National Football League coaches. It’s been kind of fun, their maturation process. “We found ways to lose games just like this (during a 1-5 start)”. It’s important right now that we stay focused at this time of the year. We’re just barely crossing. 500 by a couple of games.