close
close

Kansas City wins thriller against Baltimore to open NFL season and the Chiefs’ hunt for third consecutive Super Bowl


Kansas City wins thriller against Baltimore to open NFL season and the Chiefs’ hunt for third consecutive Super Bowl



CNN

The NFL’s 105th season is underway, and with it the Kansas City Chiefs’ exciting quest for a historic third consecutive Super Bowl.

In front of an enthusiastic crowd at Arrowhead Stadium – which included Taylor Swift – the Chiefs unveiled their championship banner and treated their home fans to a nerve-wracking 27-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in a game where the final play decided the outcome.

Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes broke the franchise record for most passing yards all-time, moving ahead of Len Dawson, while rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy — who broke the NFL Combine record for the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.21 seconds — scored a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown.

This rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game pitted Super Bowl LVIII MVP Mahomes against reigning league MVP Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Chiefs were in control in the first half, taking a 13-10 lead into halftime and extending the lead to 20-10 in the third quarter.

However, the Ravens showed signs of life at the beginning of the final period and reduced the score to 20-17 with a 49-yard pass from Jackson to tight end Isaiah Likely.

But Mahomes responded quickly, as he often does, and found Worthy for a 35-yard touchdown that extended the lead to 27-17. In the first half, Worthy sprinted 21 yards into the end zone on an end-around – his first touch in his NFL career.

The biggest catch of the night, however, probably came from Mahomes himself. With less than three minutes left in the game and the Chiefs leading by seven points, a Mahomes pass on third down was deflected by Ravens linebacker Trenton Simpson, but the Chiefs quarterback managed to block two defenders and catch the floating ball, avoiding the turnover.

Kansas City had to punt, allowing Jackson and Baltimore one last drive.

With no timeouts, Jackson went airborne and threw to wide receiver Rashod Bateman for a 38-yard gain, setting up first-and-goal. Incomplete passes to Likely and wide receiver Zay Flowers set up third-and-goal with five seconds left.

On the final play of the game, Jackson threw what looked like a touchdown to Likely in the end zone, giving the Ravens a chance to tie the game with an extra point or win the game with a two-point conversion.

But the play was reviewed again (since all possible plays that could lead to points take place in the final two minutes of the game) and subsequent review showed that Likely had one toe out of bounds.

The play was ruled an incomplete pass and the Chiefs emerged from the opening game with a narrow victory.

“Obviously it was nerve-racking,” Mahomes told NBC. “It’s a game where inches matter, they say. This is a great football team, and to come out here and win at Arrowhead is a good way to start the season.”

This moment meant Mahomes could truly celebrate his new place in Chiefs history. The franchise record-breaking moment for Mahomes came on the type of play that NFL fans have seen so many times from the Chiefs’ star QB in his career.

It was a third-and-12 attempt, and the pressured Mahomes tried to find open space and connected with his longtime reliable target, tight end Travis Kelce, for a 23-yard gain midway through the second quarter.

Mahomes started the night 84 yards short of surpassing Len Dawson for the franchise record, but he finished the night completing 20 of 28 passes for 291 yards and one touchdown and throwing one interception.

Jackson completed 26 of 41 passes for 273 yards and one touchdown.

After the game, Jackson had a hard time accepting the result: “I thought it was a touchdown,” he said of the final play. “Still think it was a touchdown.”

Kickoff for the season opener was delayed 20 minutes to 7:40 p.m. Kansas City time as a thunderstorm swept through Arrowhead Stadium, delaying event and game activities. During the downpour, spectators were asked to leave their seats and seek shelter while players cleared the field.

After the bad weather cleared, a rainbow appeared in the distance – as if it were a sign to the boisterous NFL fans that the season was near.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *