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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

“God willing, i’ll be out there,” Ravens tight end Mark Andrews had wished, but Mr. Almighty seems to have other plans for all. As the opening season match between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens season comes to an end, the sun shines bright on some, while others remain in the shadows. 

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Ravens’ 28-year-old Pro Bowl tight end had been nursing an injury and missed six consecutive practices leading up to his name being registered under the questionable column. He, like Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end, Travis Kelce, ended up sitting out of their respective Week 1 match-ups. The Ravens’ glorious 25-9 win over the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium in downtown Baltimore came with a price- additional members of the starting pack have joined Mark Andrews’ dubious 2013 future.  

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Mark Andrews was excluded from Week 1

Owing to a quad injury, Andrews remained unavailable for the Baltimore Ravens’ season opener against the Texans which saw Justice Hill recording two rushing touchdowns, and J.K. Dobbins contributing with a rushing score, propelling the Ravens to a victory. Even though the starting tight end was “feeling better running around,” the team decided to avoid playing him during Week 1.

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The Ravens are optimistic that he will be ready to participate in the upcoming game against the Cincinnati Bengals, who are the reigning AFC North champions for the second consecutive year, scheduled for next Sunday. His spot will be filled, momentarily, by Isaiah Likely, the team’s 2022 fourth-round pick draft. His presence has become even more crucial after starting running back J.K. Dobbins suffered a season-threatening ankle injury. 

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The Chief’s fumbling season opener 

While the Ravens were able to secure their position for the second round of seasonal matches, the Kansas City Chiefs failed against their opening rivals, the Detroit Lions, despite all odds favoring. The Lions capitalized on the lack of a pass rush caused due to the absence of Chris Jones, who has remained on stand-by due to contract negotiations.

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Kansas City’s offense looked disorganized without Travis Kelce, who suffered a hyper-extended knee injury during practice. Travis Kelce is Patrick Mahomes’ favorite target, and with him out of the game his wide receivers, Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore faired badly. 

Kelce, though fortunate, seems to have avoided a major injury. Jay Glazer, via Ari Meirov, stated that Kelce should return for Week 2 against the Jaguars after running tests with no swelling. Choosing to keep Kelce out might be a wise call on the Chiefs’ part- since,  losing an opening match is acceptable, the defending champions losing the consequent Super Bowl- not so much. 

Watch this story: NFL star Ezekiel Elliott expected to join AFC powerhouse in lucrative $5 million deal

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Anushka Laha

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Anushka Laha is an NFL writer at EssentiallySports. She identifies and relates to the finer on and off-the-field nuances of football. She is an expert at covering an array of topics - from delving into the lives of retired NFL legends like Brady and Gronkowski to the exciting developments happening on the college football field. Anushka sees football and its physicality with an artistic lens where the athletes are creating art with their plays. Sports is indeed in her blood, represented by her stint as an amateur basketball player and her Muay Thai medals.

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Mallika Singh

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