Mixed Predictions for Ravens' Week 4 Matchup

The Kansas City Chiefs haven't been their usual impressive selves through the first three weeks of this regular season. They've slumped in coming straight off of their third consecutive trip to the Super Bowl, entering Week 4 with a 1-2 record and earning their lone win against an unimpressive New York Giants team.

They're set to host the Baltimore Ravens this weekend who, for all of their hype, sit stuck with the exact same record. They at least fell to two of the better-run offenses in the NFL in the Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions and put up strong fights in their respective shootouts, but any belief that the Ravens can raise their game in the face of a challenge has already been completely sapped in advancing towards September's final week.

Most of this season's statistical evidence points towards the Ravens as the clear favorite to prevail against a depleted and over-the-hill-looking Kansas City roster, yet Bleacher Report's panel of experts barely leaned in Baltimore's favor in a 4-3 split.

"The Ravens and Chiefs both have plus scoring margins despite losing records," Brad Gagnon wrote. "Neither gets blown out, so this is likely to go down to the wire. The Chiefs may have the Arrowhead advantage, but the Ravens have the edge in being the more talented and healthier team."

The Ravens, though, have spent years proving that talent isn't enough to get over the hump. They've fallen to numerous opponents, including the Chiefs, who've simply ascended in the clutch while the Ravens get in their own way. For whatever reason, Lamar Jackson's offense hasn't kept up in historic, legacy-defining matchups, while his defense has watched as quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes consistently get the last laugh.