7 winners, 2 losers from Ravens’ 36-35 win over Raiders in Week 2

The Baltimore Ravens came out on top against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, earning a hard fought 36-35 victory in thrilling fashion. The win marked Baltimore’s first win against Kansas City in four seasons, and the Ravens finally defeated their “kryptonite”.

There were many winners in this game for Baltimore as well as a few losers. Players from both sides of the ball stepped up and were key reasons why the Ravens were able to come out with a win.

Below we look at seven winners and two losers for the Ravens in their big victory over the Chiefs in Week 2.

Winner: QB Lamar Jackson

(AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

After a rough start to the game where Jackson threw two interceptions in the first quarter, he recovered and finished the contest with 346 total yards and three total touchdowns. He showed poise, stayed calm, and led his team back from behind to pick up an impressive victory against a team that Jackson has wanted to beat for a long time.

Winner: WR Marquise Brown

Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Brown impressed for the second straight week as he hauled in six receptions for 113 yards and a score against the Chiefs in Week 2. He looks faster on the field and seems to be playing with a greater sense of urgency, which is great news for his quarterback in Jackson. The Jackson-Brown duo has already established plenty of chemistry, and they'll look to build upon that in future weeks.

Winner: OL Alejandro Villanueva

Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Villanueva bounced back in a big way after a poor Week 1 performance. He moved back over to his natural position at left tackle with the absence of Ronnie Stanley, and played really well, as he opened up holes in the run game and held up in pass protection. It looks like Baltimore has a viable replacement for Stanley while the All-Pro works his way back to 100% health.

Winner: OL Patrick Mekari

(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

With Alejandro Villanueva moving over to the left side due to Ronnie Stanley's absence, Mekari slid into the right tackle spot and did a phenomenal job. He was a force for much of the game, and showed that he can play right tackle at a high level. It will be interesting to see how the Ravens' will handle their tackle situation once Stanley returns, as one of Villanueva and Mekari will most likely be the odd man out of the starting group.

Winner: DL Justin Madubuike

(AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Madubuike is a player that many are expecting big things out of in 2021. The second-year defensive lineman flashed his immense potential on Sunday night, finishing the game with two total tackles, including one tackle for loss. While those numbers don't jump off of the stat sheet, Madubuike had multiple plays where he helped stuff a run play or force interior pressure. One of his best plays of the night was also called back due to a questionable defensive holding call. Hopefully Madubuike can continue to build on his performance over the next few months.

Winner: OLB Odafe Oweh

(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Oweh was one of the heroes of Baltimore's Sunday night victory over the Chiefs. He continued his scorching start to his rookie campaign, finishing Week 2 with three total tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one quarterback hit. Oweh's fumble came at the best possible time for the Ravens, as he punched the ball out of the hands of Kansas City's Clyde Edwards-Helaire as the Chiefs were in field goal range to potentially win the game. He also hit Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes on one play which led to an interception. Oweh has burst onto the scene during his first year in the NFL, and he's showing teams why they shouldn't have passed on him despite his lack of college production.

Loser: The Ravens' pass rush

Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Ravens somehow sacked Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes a grand total of zero times and still won. Not bringing Mahomes down is usually not a recipe for success, but Baltimore came out with a win, and that's all that matters. However, the lack of a pass rush is a concerning trend through two games. Whether the team rushes four or even sometimes when they blitz, pressure isn't getting to the opposing quarterback as much as it needs to, as the Ravens rank 30th in pressure percentage at 11.8%. Hopefully the pass rush can perform better in Week 3 against the Detroit Lions

Loser: Baltimore's tackling

(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

The Ravens struggled to tackle against the Chiefs in Week 2. On Travis Kelce's incredible 46-yard touchdown run, Baltimore missed upwards of five tackles on that play alone and let a six or seven-yard gain turn into a score. Linebackers Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison struggled a bit, but they did perform better than the first time they played against Kansas City back in 2020. The whole Ravens defense must improve their tackling, at any given point a missed tackle can cost a team a victory.

Winner: CB Anthony Averett

(AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

In Week 2 against Kansas City, Averett put on another phenomenal showcase after having a great opening game against the Las Vegas Raiders. The fourth-year cornerback is being asked to step into a big role with the loss of Marcus Peters, and he has performed at a very high level so far. He's featured on a viral clip of him running stride-for-stride with Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill, and played very well overall.

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