KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and a touchdown, and the Kansas City defense kept Lamar Jackson and the Ravens out of the end zone with three stunning plays in the final seconds, allowing the Chiefs to begin their quest for their record third consecutive Super Bowl title with a 27-20 victory over Baltimore on Thursday night.
The game ended in video review after Jackson appeared to score a touchdown with Isaiah Likely in the back of the end zone when there was no time left for a touchdown. However, the video clearly showed Likely’s toes landing on the end line and the decision was overturned, setting off a wild celebration from the Chiefs – and superfan Taylor Swift, high up in a suite.
Xavier Worthy scored rushing and receiving touchdowns and Isiah Pacheco also scored a TD run for the Chiefs, who not only won revenge for last year’s AFC title game but also beat the Ravens for the fifth time in their last six meetings.
That lopsided record was especially frustrating for Jackson, who called Kansas City the Ravens’ “kryptonite.” He was outstanding on Thursday night, throwing for 273 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 122 yards on the ground, but video analysis of the final play left him rueing another missed opportunity to finally outshine Mahomes and Co.
Jackson also gave Baltimore a chance after getting the ball back at his own 13-yard line with 1:50 left and no timeout.
He threw a couple of passes to Likely, who gained 111 yards and a score, and fought his way to a first down on third-and-2. Two plays later, Jackson threw a 38-yard pass to Rashod Bateman on the sideline that brought the Ravens to the Kansas City 10-yard line with 19 seconds left – enough time for a couple of throws to the end zone.
Jackson’s first pass was a miss, but his second missed a completely free Zay Flowers in the back of the end zone. Then came the final throw after Jackson had been running around for what seemed like an eternity. Ravens coach John Harbaugh signaled that his team would try for a game-winning 2-point conversion, but after video review, they didn’t get that chance.
The wild ending came after the start was delayed by about 20 minutes due to a storm with heavy rain and lightning.
The Ravens opened with an 11-play, 70-yard drive that ended when Derrick Henry, who had troubled the Chiefs in six previous meetings during his time at Tennessee, stormed into the end zone from 5 yards out to secure the early lead.
But the highly motivated Chiefs, looking to avoid losing their first game two years in a row, needed just two minutes to find an answer. Mahomes scored twice against Rashee Rice, who has so far escaped an NFL suspension for his role in a street racing accident in Dallas, before Worthy showed why the Chiefs made him their first-round pick with a 21-yard touchdown run.
After these two drives, the first half was mainly characterized by the mistakes of the first week.
Jackson was sacked by Chris Jones deep in his own territory, leading to a field goal for Kansas City. Flowers was stopped short of the first-down marker on the Ravens’ next series on fourth-and-3 near the halfway line, leading to another field goal. And even Justin Tucker, one of the league’s most accurate kickers, sank a 53-yard field goal attempt wide left.
The Chiefs weren’t immune to mistakes either. Mahomes was intercepted on a bad throw by Roquan Smith late in the first half, leading to a chip-shot field goal that brought Baltimore — which trailed twice at halftime all of last season — to within 13-10 at the break.
But the Ravens’ inability to get into the end zone and gain momentum ultimately proved costly.
The Chiefs opened the second half with an 81-yard touchdown run to extend their lead. Then, after Jackson passed to Likely for a 49-yard touchdown throw on a broken play, Mahomes drove them 70 yards against the NFL’s best scoring defense last season for a touchdown that made it 27-17 with 10 minutes left.
Tucker tied the game at one with a field goal with 4:54 left and Baltimore quickly forced a punt. But despite Jackson’s passionate play, he was forced off the field after another disappointing loss to the Chiefs.
Swift, the 14-time Grammy winner, wasn’t the only star to attend the NFL’s opening night. Olympic 400-meter gold medalist Quincy Hall was in the crowd, as was AC Milan midfielder Christian Pulisic, who will join his U.S. teammates for a friendly against Canada at nearby Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night.
Baltimore: LB Kyle Van Noy left the field six minutes into the second half due to an eye injury and did not return.
The Ravens host Las Vegas on Sunday, September 15. The Chiefs will host a visit from Cincinnati on the same day.
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