Week one is in the books, the Ravens got the victory, and preparation for next week’s game against the San Diego Chargers is underway. This past weekend provided enough action and conversation to last us through the work week. Here are some of the things that caught my attention.

1. The Ravens’ High Powered… Offense?

With what was expected to be a small increase in production, the Ravens’ offense surprised everybody,

including the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens instead started the game with seven pass plays in a nine play drive down the field. At the end of things, Joe Flacco went to the air 43 times, connecting on 60% of those pass attempts. As a Baltimore fan, it’s hard to hold back the excitement that an effective passing game brings to a teams’ offense. While the running game is productive, and the game against the Chiefs was no different, a balanced (or more pass weighted) offense is pretty crazy. Hopefully, the passing game will continue to be this successful all year, or, at least, given the chance to be.

2. The success of the passing game seemed to make Todd Heap a threat again.

Heeeeeeeeeeap! It was absoutely wonderful to hear that sound more than once during the course of the game on Sunday, as Todd Heap found his way back into the offensive scheme. Cam Cameron was able to open up the passing game, getting the ball to Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton, and Kelly Washington, which, in turn, took attention off of the Ravens’ former biggest air threat. Heap caught 5 passes for over 70 yards, returning to the form that Baltimore Ravens’ fans have come to know and love, but have not had the pleasure of watching over the past couple of seasons. If Flacco and the rest of his wide receiving crew can keep up the good work, expect Heap to make even more of an impact, especially in the red zone.

3. Ray Rice. Enough said.

Ray Rice has been said to be a future stud. Coming out of Rutgers last season, he spent more time

watching McGahee then he did getting legitimate looks on the field. Rice quietly ran for 108 yards in the victory over Kansas City, which was probably a huge reason why the passing game was so available for Flacco to take full advantage of. Rice is a small guy, and can find the holes to run through. It will be a lot of fun to watch him during the rest of the year, and hopefully he’ll continue to be as successful as he was on Sunday.

4. If there was anything negative, it was special teams. But didn’t we know that already?

A missed field goal. A blocked punt. The mistakes on special teams were some of the only ones that can really be blamed for a somewhat close game. But give credit where credit is due; the Chiefs took full advantage of the mistakes the Ravens made, just as they knew they had to. In fact, Todd Hailey, Kansas City’s head coach, told his team before the game that it would have to be an ugly game in order for them to win. The Chiefs did everything they could to make this game as ugly as possible, forcing the Ravens to make mistakes where they are obviously still somewhat vulnerable. Ravens’ kicker, Steve Hauschka, missed a field goal from 40+ yards, but that was not too much cause for concern. There should still be no chants for the return of Matt Stover; give the kid a chance or two to prove that he is capable of performing in the NFL.

5. The Ravens defense was better than at first glance. No, really, they were.

Yes, Brodie Croyle was able to throw for some long pass plays, seemingly taking advantage of Fabian Washington just a bit. While the Ravens attempted to pull away with a game-claiming lead, the Chiefs always seemed to be able to pull themselves right back in to contention. However, half of the Kansas City points came from special teams and defensive plays; only 14 points were score due to the Chiefs’ offense. Not only that, Brodie Croyle had a career game, completing passes and looking as effective as any quarterback around the NFL could ask for. However, a defensive output that only allows 14 points is one that fans should be proud of. The goal of a cornerback is to avoid having your name splattered all over the commentary; usually it means that you are getting beat by the wide receiver you’re in charge of covering. Domonique Foxworth attained just that; his name was hardly mentioned during the entire game, and other than the one or two plays against Washington, his name was not uttered either. Trust me on this one. The Ravens’ secondary will be fine, the Ravens’ entire defense will be just as dominating, and the Ravens’ offense will be better. That equation leads to nothing but good things for Baltimore football.

What were some of the things that stood out to you as you watched the game on Sunday? Maybe it was Mark Clayton’s showing, or Willis McGahee’s new role. Whatever it was, let us know!