Chiefs-Ravens scouting report

A look at the key matchups for the Chiefs-Ravens game at noon Sunday in Baltimore. The game will air on CBS.

When the Chiefs run

EDGE >> RAVENS

The Chiefs have been pounding teams on the ground recently, but they’re going to be tested this week.

For as bad as the Ravens have been, this is still a rugged AFC North team that is big, physical and built to stop the run.

The Ravens have allowed only six rushing touchdowns, the third-fewest in the league, and they don’t give up many long runs, either.

Nose tackle Brandon Williams (6-1, 335) is a good run defender who anchors the Ravens’ 3-4 front. He’s a space eater who plugs the middle for a solid Ravens run defense. Tackle Timmy Jernigan (6-2, 302), a second-round pick in 2014, is an intriguing young player.

The Ravens will be without end Chris Canty, who was injured in their 35-6 loss to Seattle on Sunday and is out for the season, but his young replacement, Lawrence Guy (6-4, 305), has fared well. The Ravens are solid up the middle with inside linebackers C.J Mosley (6-2, 235) and Daryl Smith (6-2, 250), who are very capable vs. the run.

Edge rusher Courtney Upshaw (6-2, 272) doesn’t give the Ravens much as a pass rusher, but he’s strong against the run and sets the edge with gusto. Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith has been killing teams with his running ability, of late; it will be interesting to see if the Ravens use quick second-year safety Terrence Brooks (5-11, 200) in the same spy role he was in last week against the Seahawks.

When the Chiefs pass

EDGE >> CHIEFS

With the absence of Terrell Suggs, who is on injured reserve, the Ravens’ best edge rusher is Elvis Dumervil (5-11, 225), who has a team-high six sacks but struggles against the run. The Ravens, who rank a middling 20th in sacks, have also surrendered 27 touchdown passes, which is the fifth-most in the league. They’ve also recorded only four interceptions, the fewest in the league. Their inside linebackers — Smith and Mosley — can be liabilities vs. the pass. Cornerback Ladarius Webb (5-10, 182), who is better suited at safety or in nickel duty, has struggled on the outside this season. The other starter at corner, Jimmy Smith (6-2, 206), is a good football player. One of the Ravens’ starters at safety is former Chief Kendrick Lewis (6-0, 205), a smart player who remains limited in coverage. The other safety, Will Hill (6-1, 228), is having a nice season vs. the run and pass. Opposing quarterbacks have posted a rating of 101.3 against the Ravens, the third-highest mark in the league, so Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith — who is playing some of the best football of his career — could be poised for a big game, particularly if he continues his newfound willingness to throw downfield against a secondary that surrendered five touchdown passes to Russell Wilson on Sunday is quite vulnerable to the deep ball.

When the Ravens run

EDGE >> CHIEFS

Since the season-ending injury to Justin Forsett, Rookie Javorius “Buck” Allen (6-0, 220) has emerged as the lead guy in a rushing attack that, on the whole, has not risen to the occasion this season. Allen also shares carries with Terrance West (5-10, 225). The two are coming off a loss to Seahawks in which the Ravens rushed for 28 yards. Both are talented, but they could have a tough time finding holes against a Chiefs defense that has been very good against the run, especially if banged-up right guard Marshal Yanda (6-3, 305) — an elite run blocker — does not play. The Chiefs rarely surrender big gains on the ground and they generally do a good job maintaining their gap integrity. Still, don’t be surprised if the Ravens go for it on fourth-and-short at least once — coach John Harbaugh has a reputation for being aggressive in those situations.

When the Ravens pass

EDGE >> CHIEFS

Whether Joe Flacco out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury, it’s unclear whether the Chiefs will face Matt Schaub (6-6, 245) or Jimmy Clausen (6-2, 210) on Sunday. Each has shown a tendency to throw interceptions, which is good news for a Chiefs team that ranks second in the league with 18 interceptions. Schaub, in particular, has a nasty habit of turning the ball over — he’s thrown a pick six in his last three games, while Clausen has a 1-12 career record as a starter and career touchdown-to-interception ratio of 5-to-12. The Ravens, by the way, have thrown the second-most interceptions in the league (17), which is unusual since they’ve allowed the third-fewest sacks (20) and ninth-fewest quarterback hits (61). Kelechi Osemele (6-5, 330) is a newbie at left tackle that has been pushed into duty due to injuries. Tamba Hali, who has been playing at a high level of late, needs to make Osemele — who fared well on Sunday and is a good run blocker — pay in pass protection in what will be his second career start at the position. Still, the Ravens can sling it some. At receiver, veteran Steve Smith, Jr., is out for the season, so the Ravens are relying on a trio of big-bodied young receivers — Kamar Aiken (6-2, 215), Jeremy Butler (6-2, 213) and Daniel Brown (6-5, 225) — that have not been bad. Aiken is the top target — he’s caught at least five passes in six straight games and generally does a nice job of attacking the ball in the air — but Butler and Brown fared well last week against the Seahawks, catching a combined 13 passes for 119 yards. Clausen likes to look for Brown on third down, but Chris Givens (6-0, 203) and Chris Matthews (6-5, 230) also mix into an increasingly sure-handed group. Even still, the Ravens are one of the league’s worst teams on third-down conversions (34 percent). With the recent injury to starting tight end Crockett Gillmore (6-6, 260), the Chiefs should see more of second-round rookie Maxx Williams (6-4, 250), who has some natural pass-catching ability but needs to bulk up and mature as a player.

Special teams

EDGE >> RAVENS

The Chiefs’ special teams have been a bit of a mess recently. Two weeks ago, they failed to convert two extra points against Oakland and against the Chargers on Sunday, they missed a field goal. They’ve also had a handful of big returns wiped out by penalties. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is one of the league’s best — he also blasts a ludicrous 87.3 percent of his kickoffs for touchbacks — though the Chiefs’ Dustin Colquitt has the edge over Sam Koch in dropping punts inside the 20. The Ravens have superior return averages than the Chiefs, who are better at covering kicks and punts. But given the Chiefs’ recent special teams struggles, the edge here has to go to Baltimore.

Coaching

EDGE >> CHIEFS

At 4-9, the Ravens are in the midst of a down, injury-riddled season. The blame for that lands at the feet of head coach John Harbaugh, but don’t be fooled — Harbaugh remains one of the league’s best. He owns a .608 career winning percentage and has a Super Bowl title to his credit. Offensive coordinator Marc Trestman is a respected offensive mind, while defensive coordinator Dean Pees — who is in fourth year in the job — has been the recent recipient of fans’ criticism. Meanwhile, Chiefs coach Andy Reid has publicly given credit for the team’s turnaround to offensive coordinator Doug Pederson and defensive coordinator Bob Sutton.

X-factor

EDGE >> CHIEFS

The Ravens are super-banged up, with 18 players on injured reserve. The Chiefs, by comparison, only have six on IR, and actually have something to play for, unlike the Ravens — who have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Bottom line: Chiefs 20-13

At 4-9, the Ravens have openly decided to develop young players over the final three games. That’s not an ideal formula to beat the streaking Chiefs, who have won seven games in a row and still in the hunt to win the AFC West. As long as the Chiefs, 8-5, don’t take this one for granted, they should be alright, but this game could become dangerous, especially if the Chiefs can’t get their ground game going against a solid Baltimore front. Remember, prior to their blowout loss last week, the Ravens were in every game this season.

This story was originally published December 18, 2015 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Chiefs-Ravens scouting report."