Raven Country

Ravens Star Will Get His Chances

Baltimore Ravens fans shouldn't panic about Mark Andrews' slow start.

Jon Alfano

Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) runs with the ball against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) runs with the ball against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
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The Baltimore Ravens' tight end duo is widely considered to be the best in the NFL, and it's easy to see why.

First, there's veteran Mark Andrews, who has been one of the league's best tight ends with three Pro Bowl selections and a first-team All-Pro nod over the past five years. Second, there's youngster Isaiah Likely, who stepped up with six touchdowns in as many games when Andrews went down late last season. Together, the two should be an absolute headache for opposing defenses.

Thursday's season-opener against the Kansas City Chiefs gave fans their first good look at the duo in action, and the results were quite surprising. It was actually Likely leading the way with nine receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown, and he could've had a second if his toe wasn't just barely out of bounds on the final play. In contrast, Andrews had just two receptions for 14 yards.

Andrews' quiet showing gave some Ravens fans pause, with some even going as far to say Likely will take over the starting tight end job soon. Upon further inspection, though, it's not as dire as some made it out to be.

The biggest takeaway is that the Chiefs did everything in their power to take Andrews out of the game, double-covering him at an extremely high rate. This isn't new for Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who always hones in on Andrews when he faces Baltimore. His plan has worked like a charm, as Andrews has had more than 30 receiving yards just once against Kansas City, which came in 2021.

It's also important to consider what Andrews has been through recently. The 2021 All-Pro suffered a severe leg injury last season, causing him to miss extended time for the first time in his NFL career. He also missed much of the past month after an Aug. 14 car crash, so it's not too surprising that his start wasn't exactly stellar.

The Ravens aren't going to demote Andrews because of one sub-par game, and having just turned 29 years old, he should still have plenty of gas in the tank.

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Jon Alfano

JON ALFANO

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