Young Linebackers, Not Jadeveon Clowney*,* Are Key to Beating Chiefs
If the Ravens are going to reach the Super Bowl this season, there's a good chance they're going to have to get through the reigning champs.
Stopping Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs is a tall task for any team, but the Ravens have loaded up on the defensive side of the ball. Reports that Baltimore could be the leader to sign free-agent edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney make things even more intriguing.
But Yahoo! Sports' Terez Paylor doesn't believe Clowney would make the difference for the Ravens. He told Glenn Clark Radio that he's focusing on the play of rookie linebackers Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison.
"What will help more is [if] those young [ILBs] come along fast." Paylor said. "If [Queen] can prove to be a plus in coverage … the Ravens do have the matchups defensively to be able to [beat KC]."
Paylor backed up his point adding that one of Clowney's best traits is stopping the run. The Chiefs, who averaged only 98.1 rushing yards last season, aren't a team that is going to win pounding the rock.
That makes it even more important for the Ravens to have athletic inside linebackers. There's a chance Queen and Harrison could be starting Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns. Both have earned strong reviews throughout training camp.
"The investment of draft capital in Queen and Harrison, first- and third-round picks, respectively, showed the desire of a team seeking to resolve a key issue that derailed a promising season," The Baltimore Sun's Daniel Oyefusi wrote. "Queen projects as a smaller, new-age linebacker who has the speed to cover sideline to sideline, while Harrison is a larger player who also runs well.
"The trio of Queen, Harrison and [L.J.] Fort gives the Ravens reason to believe there will be a noticeable improvement from last season when early struggles with run fits and pass coverage played a role in shoddy defensive showings. With the evolution of NFL defenses and the rate at which they play in nickel and dime packages, it seems increasingly likely that responsibility will fall on Queen, the 28th overall pick."
September 02, 2020 at 08:39PM
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