The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday 2024 NFL season opener, and the game was even closer than the 27-20 score indicated, with Lamar Jackson and Isaiah Likely. barely missing last-second touchdown connection. The finish was so tight, in fact, that Likely suggested later the Leaders will need “luck” if they rematch the Ravens in the postseason.
“This is probably the worst game we’ll play all year,” the Ravens told reporters. “So if this is the best they got, I mean, good luck in the postseason.”
Bold words, to be sure. But do they hold true? Only time will tell, of course, but after one game, is it possible to project which of the Chiefs or Ravens is actually best suited for a deep playoff run? Is one of these AFC heavyweights clearly more sustainable than the other? The early returns suggest as much, and unfortunately for Likely, the scales aren’t tipping in the Ravens’ favor.
Consider first the long-proven strength of the Chiefs. Was KC a perfect Thursday? No. But we have seen this story before. We saw Patrick Mahomes and Co. literally winning two straight titles — and appearing in four of the last five Super Bowls — as both high-scoring scorers and grind-it-out heroes. They are inevitable. To question their ability to go the distance — in any way, really — is simply to deny recent reality.
More than that, though, the Chiefs too looked improved against the Ravens. One game is one game. A season is much longer. But there was no denying that Thursday’s lineup had a huge surge in electricity, mostly courtesy of speedy rookie Xavier Worthy, promising an even more splashy offense than the one that beat the San Francisco 49ers in February. Throw in Rashee Rice continuing to look like a bona fide No. 1, Isiah Pacheco continuing to punish as a runner, Steve Spagnuolo’s defense continuing to stay busy up front, and the fact Marquise Brown has yet to make his own senior debut, and the Arrowhead faithful are on. in for a treat.
The Ravens, on the other hand? They certainly have something in Likely, who now registers more like a No. 1 pass catcher than a No. 2 tight end. And Jackson remains MVP-caliber, nearly willing Baltimore past the sticks with his legs during Thursday’s affair. However, you often don’t need your quarterback to rush for more than 120 yards unless he absolutely has to. And you usually don’t want your quarterback doing that much if he also has an extensive injury history.
Maybe Derrick Henry’s workload will increase. Maybe Rashod Bateman will use a late game side catch in more Jackson downfield looks. Maybe the line will settle down and Jackson will smooth out his motion reads, looking for more than just Zay Flowers through the air. In the end, this is still the Ravens, led by John Harbaugh, with an MVP candidate under center and a physical defense on the other side. They will always be in the conversation.
If you’re looking to pinpoint which of the two teams is more likely to be left standing at the end, though, especially if a rematch presents itself, it’s hard not to lean a specific way. The Chiefs are the Chiefs, and they will remain the towering team to beat until proven otherwise.
