The Baltimore Ravens were the best team in the NFL last regular season. They are one of the few teams that can theoretically keep up with the Kansas City Chiefs.

If this encounter happens again in the AFC championship game, no one should complain.

Thursday night brought us a thrilling first game of the NFL season. The Ravens had a chance to win the game late. Lamar Jackson, who looked thinner and faster, made his usual good plays. He rushed for 100 yards for the 14th time, which is a record for a quarterback. He put the Ravens in position for a touchdown late in the game when they were down 27-20. But the Chiefs held on and pulled out a big win, and it was as close as it could be.

Jackson missed a completely open pass from Zay Flowers in the end zone with five seconds left. On the final play, Jackson ran and appeared to hit tight end Isaiah Likely, who scored a touchdown as time expired. But Likely’s toe barely touched the back line and the pass was ruled incomplete after a replay review. The Chiefs got away.

The Chiefs made an interesting first-round draft pick in lightning-quick receiver Xavier Worthy, and he immediately paid off with two touchdowns. He scored an end-around touchdown for his first NFL touchdown and then a key touchdown in the fourth quarter when the game was tight. Just what head coach Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes needed: a game-winning rookie receiver who is faster than anyone else on the field.

The Chiefs played well on Thursday night. The Ravens gave them a tough task. Maybe we’ll see them play again in January. It couldn’t have been closer on Thursday night.

Ravens fight to the end against Chiefs

Both offenses started well. Derrick Henry finished his first drive with the Ravens with a 5-yard touchdown. The Chiefs answered on their first possession with a 21-yard end-around touchdown to Worthy. It was Worthy’s first touchdown in the NFL and he raced past the defense to score a touchdown.

Then the defenses took control for the rest of the half. There were no more touchdowns in the first half. Jackson lost a fumble in Chiefs territory, but the Ravens held Kansas City to a field goal. Mahomes threw an interception near the midfield late in the first half, but the Chiefs held Baltimore to a field goal. The Chiefs went into halftime with a 13-10 lead.

The Chiefs’ defense held out into the second half. Baltimore’s offensive line, which replaced three starters from last season, had great difficulty blocking the Chiefs’ front line, so Jackson constantly threw short passes, often to Flowers. Jackson completed many passes, but not for many yards.

The Ravens finally made the big play they needed. Jackson found Likely downfield, and Likely weaved through defenders for a 49-yard touchdown, cutting the Chiefs lead to 20-17. The game was far from over, especially with Jackson on the Ravens side.

But the Chiefs were able to extend their lead with another great play from their new and exciting rookie.

Xavier Worthy leaves a big impression

Worthy struck again. This time it was on a botched coverage. He got behind the defense and Mahomes threw him for a 35-yard touchdown, right after Likely’s touchdown.

The Chiefs struggled at the receiver position last season and still won a Super Bowl. Kansas City played Thursday night without the injured Marquise Brown, and the combination of Rashee Rice, Worthy and Brown could be devastating all season long.

The Ravens are one of the best teams in the NFL and were not out of the running after Worthy’s second touchdown. They scored a field goal, then an interception, and the Chiefs had to punt at the two-minute warning. Jackson took over at his own 13-yard line, trailing 27-20 with 1:50 left and a timeout. Jackson hit Rashod Bateman on a 38-yard catch to the 10-yard line, but the clock ran under 20 seconds. Jackson threw Likely too far in the end zone and then appeared to miss Flowers on the second attempt. After the game, he said that pass was actually intended for Bateman. Still, he will regret that play.

The pass to Likely appeared to be a touchdown and the Ravens were ready to score the 2-point conversion and the win. But the replay showed that Likely was barely out. The Chiefs could breathe a sigh of relief.