The date was Oct. 4, 2004. The Kansas City Chiefs were off to a horrid start to the season, falling to 0-3 after facing the Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans. Hope was bleak because up next the Dick Vermeil-led Chiefs faced a daunting task. They had to travel to M&T Bank Stadium for “Monday Night Football” to face a Baltimore Ravens squad that was 2-1.
The Ravens defense featured some players, maybe you’ve heard of them: Ed Reed, Chris McAlister, Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis. The Chiefs, of course, had the weapons to match the intensity of the accomplished Ravens defense with Will Shields, Priest Holmes and Tony Gonzalez.
The matchup of the evening, however, was between Lewis and Shields.
Last Chiefs/Ravens game on Monday Night Football featured Will Shields vs Ray Lewis most of the night at the second level. I’ll let you guess who won that matchup as Priest Holmes ran the ball 33 times for 125 yards and 2 TD. pic.twitter.com/OCHco3mow0
— Chase Snyder (@ChasingSnyder) September 22, 2020
The plan was to feed the ground game for Kansas City and it worked. The two teams battled, exchanging blows throughout the game. Every time the Chiefs would jump out to a lead, the Ravens would battle back to tie the game. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter when the Chiefs pulled away with a two-score lead. The defining play came down to a 1-on-1 matchup between Lewis and Shields.
Kansas City took up the end of the third quarter, marching down the field on a 13-play drive that landed them at the 1-yard line. On third-and-1, Shields pulled to the left to block Lewis in a 1-on-1 situation. Trent Green handed the ball off to Holmes who followed the patch cleared by Shields, extending their lead to 10 points. The Chiefs would ultimately go on to win 27-24 at the end of regulation.
Later, well after his Hall of Fame induction and retirement, Lewis would praise the Chiefs’ offensive line for their toughness, smarts and chemistry in an interview with Colin Cowherd. You can bet that particular matchup stuck in his mind during that interview.
As these two storied franchises get ready to meet once again on “Monday Night Football” on Sept. 28, there’s a lot to look forward to. A clash of two former league MVPs, thriving ground games, incredible offensive weapons and defenses filled with confident playmakers. It should make for a matchup for the ages, just like the one played between these two teams back in 2004.
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