The difference between Chiefs and Ravens is bigger than the deciding game
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Yes … a nail separated the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens as the final second ticked off the game clock in the NFL’s 2024 season opener on Thursday.
Ravens quarterback and reigning MVP Lamar Jackson led an impressive 77-yard drive and appeared to tie the game for a moment when he delivered a pass that only tight end Isaiah Likely could catch in the back of the end zone. And Likely appeared to get both feet on the ground to complete the potential score, prompting officials to signal a touchdown.
But movie review revealed a whiff Likely’s right toe landed on the white of the back boundary line of the end zone, meaning he was out of bounds. No catch. Game over. Chiefs win 27-20. Waves of relief and joy washed over the Kansas City faithful. Heartbreak choked Baltimore’s flock.
an inch out 😱#Kickoff2024 photo.twitter.com/TUeV7bxF6z
— NFL (@NFL) September 6, 2024
A toenail? That’s it? Yes and no.
Much of the game’s first 59 minutes and 59 seconds reflected a much larger margin of discrepancy and the reality that even with a lackluster performance, the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Chiefs remain the toast of the league. It also showed that the Ravens — one of the AFC’s elite teams, who also fell in heartbreaking fashion to Kansas City in the conference finals last January — have a long way to go if they expect to catch the champions. And neither do any of the NFL’s other 30 teams.
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There were plenty of disjointed moments as the Chiefs began their quest for an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat. Three drops in scoring position in the first half and an interception by Patrick Mahomes on a tipped pass prevented the Chiefs from taking a lopsided halftime lead. If it hadn’t been for the defensive lapses that allowed Baltimore to score on a 49-yard catch and run by Likely to cut the score to 20-17 early in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs would have won comfortably.
But also to see:
• The unparalleled adaptability and creativity that characterise Andy Reid’s attacking play.
• A near-flawless performance from Mahomes, who, aside from an interception by Baltimore’s All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith on a tip from Trenton Simpson, completed 20 of 28 passes for 291 yards and a touchdown.
• The development of sophomore wide receiver Rashee Rice, who made seven catches for 103 yards.
• The exploits of another new weapon in rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who had a 21-yard touchdown and a 35-yard touchdown catch.
• The continued dominance of defenseman Chris Jones, who made a strip sack in the second quarter to allow Kansas City to take the lead for the first time of the game.
The list is endless.
It’s the last thing the rest of the NFL wants to hear, but this Chiefs team is better than last season’s iteration. That much was clear Thursday night.
Aside from the fact that Kansas City has the best quarterback of this generation and that Reid and Mahomes share a brain, the Chiefs appear poised to retain their place at the top, because Reid and general manager Brett Veach have built a juggernaut. And they’re doing it in a way that’s far from stagnant. There are core pieces, yes. But the evolution is constant.
Year after year, whether it’s draft picks or seasoned free agents, the coach and GM excel at finding talent to plug holes and fill key roles — some for the short term, some for the long term.
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It’s a player like 2021 fifth-round tight end Noah Gray, who has developed into the perfect complement to Travis Kelce. Or 2022 seventh-round running back Isiah Pacheco, who has blossomed into a workhorse. Or first-rounders turned defensive cornerstones Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis, or Rice, a 2023 second-round pick. The final piece that makes the difference is Worthy, a Texas native who has a 4.21-second 40-yard dash time and started opposite Rice on Thursday night.
Successful drafts and free-agent acquisitions have allowed Kansas City to keep rolling despite the departure of key players like Tyreek Hill, one of the best wide receivers in the game. Kansas City’s brass is simply looking for another piece and figuring out how to capitalize on the strengths of the replacement player.
The principles of Reid’s offense remain the same, as they have for more than a decade in Kansas City. But the Chiefs’ offense continues to evolve. Part of that comes from the creative freedoms the coach allows Mahomes and Kelce. But the leadership and influence of that future Hall of Fame duo on their teammates also creates cohesion and versatility.
“Everybody accepts everybody in this offense,” Mahomes said. “They’re learning so much from (Kelce) and picking his brain and listening to him talk to me, and we’re building all year long. You see (Rice) pick up where he left off, and (Worthy) made some big plays. … We’re going to keep building and building and we’re looking forward to getting Hollywood (Brown) back and seeing how good this offense can be.”
Mahomes passed for nearly 300 yards on Thursday, handing the ball out to seven pass catchers NOT named Kelce. The All-Pro tight end had a very workaday three catches for 34 yards, but that’s because the increasing comfort and effectiveness of Rice, Gray (three catches, 37 yards) and Pacheco (two catches, 33 yards) means Mahomes doesn’t have to force Kelce to get the offense going.
The versatility extends to the backfield. A third-quarter sequence reflected this perfectly. Pacheco (15 carries for 45 yards) exited the game after a 3-yard carry. Free-agent addition Samaje Perine replaced him, caught a pass out of the backfield and gained 10 yards. On the next play, rookie Carson Steele came in and ran for 5 yards. The machine keeps churning because each contributor clearly understands their role and the coaches have a firm grasp on how to use them.
Compare that to the lack of consistency in options and production for Baltimore’s offense, and the gulf between the franchises competing feels much wider.
The Ravens have an all-world quarterback in Jackson. And this offseason, they signed running back Derrick Henry in hopes that the longtime workhorse of the Tennessee Titans can help maintain balance and take some of the pressure off Jackson.
But Baltimore’s offense suffered the same problems Thursday night that it has in Jackson’s six seasons as the starting quarterback. Unless Jackson does everything, there’s virtually no spark. Outside of Jackson, who may be the best dual-threat quarterback the game has ever seen, versatility is in short supply.
The Ravens are counting on second-year wideout Zay Flowers to continue his ascent. But he was used in a similar fashion Thursday as he was in his rookie season, when he primarily caught speedy hitters and tried to use his speed and elusiveness to break up those short throws for big gains. He likely collected nine catches for 111 yards and a touchdown, but the Ravens struggled to get No. 1 tight end Mark Andrews involved (he finished with just two catches for 14 yards).
The problems with the new offensive line meant that Jackson had to scramble to avoid defenders or quickly deliver the ball before a play could be made down the field. (If anyone could use a go-getter like Worthy, it’s the Ravens. Until they landed Flowers’ draft pick last season, they’d missed out on promising wide receivers every year.)
It was one game, but Baltimore offensive coordinator Todd Monken will have to go back to the drawing board because his offense looked a lot like it did last year. Unless the Ravens have a lead, they’ll struggle to establish a run game.
As time ran out, you could feel Jackson’s frustration growing as his line gave him little time to operate from the pocket, so he donned the cape again and started calling his own number.
Jackson forced the Ravens back into the game, with 273 passing yards and a touchdown and 122 rushing yards on 16 carries. But while capable, Jackson’s 122 rushing yards are not a recipe for sustained success.
Lamar holds the @Ravens live driving
📺: #Kickoff2024 on NBC/Peacock
📱: Streaming on #NFLPlus photo.twitter.com/JzTSnEAv1F— NFL (@NFL) September 6, 2024
Henry, meanwhile, finished with 46 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. But he’s traditionally at his best in the second half of games, where after grinding through defenders in the first half, his grinding runs begin to take their toll on the opposition and culminate in big gains. But trailing for most of the game, the Ravens couldn’t afford a methodical, run-oriented approach.
Jackson and the Ravens said they were encouraged by their game-winning drive, even if it fell just a tad short of Likely’s boot.
Self-inflicted injuries from penalties, missed connections on open passes (two into the end zone on the final play), missed pass coverages by the defense — and not the Chiefs — cost them the game, Jackson and his teammates insisted.
“They’re not my kryptonite,” Jackson said when asked about his history of struggles against Kansas City. “They’re not my kryptonite. … The whole game gives me courage because guys fought. We’ve got to clean up penalties, clean up incomplete passes, work on scramble drills, make those throws and catch them. … It’s very frustrating, but we worked our asses off out there. We’re trying to win a game out there, and it felt like every time we had a big play, there was a flag and we can’t have that.”
It’s a long season, and the Ravens understand that. But they missed an opportunity to make a statement against the Chiefs. They believe another opportunity will present itself. And when it does, they expect to deliver.
“That’s the worst game we’re going to play this year,” Likely said, vowing that he and his teammates will get better as the season progresses, “and if this is the best they’ve got, then good luck.”
You have to like the mentality, but who wants to tell him that?
That certainly wasn’t Kansas City’s best. And while the Ravens managed to hang with the champs thanks to some late-game heroics, they need a lot more growth to catch up.
(Photo of Marcus Williams and Patrick Mahomes: David Eulitt/Getty Images)
