Kansas City Chiefs beat Baltimore Ravens by a toe, win opener 27-20
The Kansas City Chiefs started this season just like they ended the last one, with a win, taking down the Baltimore Ravens 27-20 in a Week 1 battle of AFC contenders.
This was anything but a comfortable win, though, especially in the game’s waning moments.
After a Kansas City punt immediately following the two-minute warning, Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson pieced together his most impressive drive of the game, leading the Ravens through the Chiefs defense down to the 10-yard line with 18 seconds remaining. After two incompletions, Jackson connected with tight end Isaiah Likely in the back of the end zone as time expired. However, upon review, Likely’s toes came down on the end line, resulting in another incompletion on the final play of the game.
“When they say it’s a game of inches, it may be shorter than that,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.
The Chiefs had to sweat it out, but came away with their fifth win in six tries against the Ravens during the Patrick Mahomes era. But, while some of the same contributors from last year’s Super Bowl-winning roster stood out on Thursday, it was one of the newest Chiefs who made the most eye-popping impact.
Rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy, the 28th-overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, answered Baltimore’s first touchdown of the game with one of his own in the first quarter, racing home on an end-around from 21 yards out for a score on the first touch of his professional career.
After a quiet middle half of the game, the former Texas Longhorns standout made his presence felt again in the fourth quarter, getting wide open behind a Ravens coverage bust and hauling in a Mahomes pass for a 35-yard touchdown.
“Just having him out there, it just opens up stuff,” Mahomes said about his newest weapon. “You saw when he’s out there they’re playing shell coverages, it’s getting guys like [Travis Kelce] and it’s getting guys like [Rashee Rice] open underneath. That’s what’s so great about this offense, we’re able to do all of that.”
Worthy’s highlights were supplemented by a game-high receiving effort from Rice, who recorded the fourth 100-yard game of his career (including playoffs) with seven receptions for 103 yards. Mahomes, now in his seventh season as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback, went 20-of-28 passing in the win, tallying 291 yards, one touchdown pass and one interception.
That is a historically significant line for Mahomes, who passed Len Dawson for the most passing yards in Chiefs history in Thursday’s victory.
“I love when we can mention Len Dawson,” Reid said. “What a great player he was. Pat was able to pass him up for the all-time yardage mark, but that’s not taking anything away from Len. Spectacular football player.”
Jackson, the reigning NFL MVP, completed 26-of-41 passes in the losing effort, throwing for 273 yards and a score. He was also the game’s leading rusher thanks largely to scrambles on passing plays, netting 16 total carries for 122 yards.
Similarly to the AFC Championship Game last season, however, Baltimore wasn’t able to get its running backs going against the Kansas City defense. Derrick Henry and Justice Hill combined for 14 carries and just 49 yards rushing, averaging 3.5 yards per rush.
“I loved the way the guys reached down and pushed themselves through the game,” Reid said, adding: “Some of these guys didn’t have a lot of practice reps, so they had to push themselves as they went here.”
Next up for the Chiefs is another AFC North foe and another team they’ve faced in a recent AFC Championship Game, the Cincinnati Bengals. That game is coming up on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 3:25 p.m.
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