OWINGS MILLS — Zach Orr will face one of his biggest challenges as the Ravens’ new defensive coordinator in the NFL opener against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night.
The Chiefs, led by two-time MVP quarterback and three-time Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes, have a high-powered offense that has the potential to stretch the field, If the Ravens can contain Mahomes, they’ll have a solid opportunity to emerge with a victory.
“They can score from any part of the field, because, obviously, Andy Reid is a great coach, but Patrick Mahomes is obviously a problem,” Orr said. “He can beat you with his legs. He can beat you with his arm from every part of the field, and they have great players around him, so that’s what makes them tough to defend.
“You could defend the first play, but then you have to defend the second play and the third play, and that’s where they make a lot of their hay at – when the first play breaks down, he gets to moving around, and guys do a great job of uncovering and finding seams to create explosive plays. We definitely have to limit that.”
Last season, Mahomes threw for 4,183 yards with 27 and 14 interceptions. The Ravens did a solid job containing him in the AFC championship, keeping the Chiefs scoreless in the second half in the 17-10 loss.
The biggest challenge when facing Mahomes is his improvisational skills. He can throw on the run, flip the ball to a running back when under pressure, or simply heave the ball downfield for his speedy wide receivers. Orr said the key is to keep the pressure on Mahomes and be prepared for the unexpected.
“[We] just have to keep on coming after them,” Orr said. “[Pass] rushers keep rushing, you have to be disciplined in your rush lanes, make sure you don’t give them a free lane, and then back in coverage, you have to plaster, [and] you have to cover. You have to expect to not just defend the first [play], but you have to defend the second play. And then just continue to do that play after play, and when opportunities come for you to make a play on the ball, we have to make those plays.”
