Xavier Worthy Lights up Arrowhead: Chiefs Defeat Ravens in Thrilling Season Opener
The 2024 NFL regular season began on Thursday night at Arrowhead Stadium between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs, the defending back-to-back Super Bowl Champions. With great anticipation and interest building during the offseason over this rematch of the AFC Championship Game from last season, fans all across the nation and the world witnessed an incredible thriller of a kickoff game to start the 2024 season. Despite a 20-minute rain delay before kickoff, spectators were treated to a spectacular display of skill between two of the league's top quarterbacks, with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and three-time Super Bowl Champion Patrick Mahomes. In Week One, the Chiefs defeated the Ravens with the aid of a two-touchdown effort from former Texas Longhorn wideout Xavier Worthy, sparking the start of their three-peat quest.
The game began with the Ravens receiving the ball in the first quarter, and Jackson and company wasted no time in making an impression. Even though the drive included multiple illegal formation penalties, the Ravens marched down the field and grabbed an early 7-0 lead thanks to a five-yard run near the goal line by veteran running back Derrick Henry, who was acquired in the offseason, scoring his first touchdown in the purple and black. On the other hand, the Chiefs and Mahomes responded quickly on their first drive of the game as well. The Chiefs' offense seems unfazed by the Ravens' defense, which is led by first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr. The Chiefs would tie the game at 7-7 after only five plays when Worthy scored his first NFL touchdown on a 21-yard end-around pass.
The Chiefs' defense would force a turnover on the opening play of the second quarter when five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones sacked Jackson and forced a fumble. Four plays later, the Chiefs would take advantage of the fumble when kicker Harrison Butker made a 32-yard field goal to give the team its first lead of the game, 10-7. Following a turnover on downs, the Chiefs would take over after the Ravens failed on a fourth down attempt near midfield on their next drive. After their offense committed two straight turnovers, the Ravens' defense held firm, forcing Butker to make a second straight field goal, this one from 31 yards out, to give the Chiefs a 13–7 lead with five minutes remaining in the first half. On their next drive, the Ravens attempted to get back on track by crossing inside the Chiefs' 40-yard line; however, the drive was halted by penalties, and kicker Justin Tucker missed a 53-yard field goal. However, the defensive captain of the Ravens, linebacker Roquan Smith, would come up huge with a critical turnover before halftime, intercepting Mahomes, and setting up shop for the Ravens' offense in an attempt to score before halftime. Although the Ravens' offense managed to get inside the Chiefs' 10-yard line, the Ravens would have to settle for a 25-yard field goal by Tucker to trim their deficit to 13-10 heading into halftime.
The Chiefs deferred to open the game and would take the field with possession to start the second half. Following a one-yard run at the goal line, running back Isiah Pacheco found the end zone to score the Chiefs' second touchdown of the game, increasing their lead to 20-10. The Ravens started the fourth quarter with a drive near midfield. On the first play of the quarter, Jackson bought time by escaping pressure from the pocket and found tight end Isaiah Likely for a 49-yard deep touchdown pass, cutting the Chiefs' lead to 20-17.
On the following drive, though, Mahomes would take advantage of a coverage blunder by the Ravens' defense in the secondary inside the Ravens' territory and found Worthy wide-open for his second touchdown of the game in his NFL debut, extending the Chiefs' lead to 27-17. After the Ravens drove into Chiefs' territory again with over five minutes left in regulation, Tucker converted a 32-yard field goal to cut the Chiefs' lead to 27–20, to make it a one-possession game. Prior to the two-minute warning, the Ravens' defense would make the crucial stop that they needed and forced a Chiefs' punt, to give Jackson and the offense one more chance to either tie or win the game. Following a 38-yard deep pass from Jackson to wide receiver Rashod Bateman, to get to the Chiefs’ 10-yard line with under 20 seconds left, the Ravens would be on the verge of scoring the game-tying touchdown. However, after appearing to score the game-tying touchdown on a Jackson pass to Likely in the back of the end zone, after review the call was reversed with Likely’s foot being ruled out of bounds and the Chiefs would hold on for the thrilling win. The Ravens will seek to bounce back against the Raiders in their home opener in Week Two. Meanwhile, the Chiefs will take on the Cincinnati Bengals, another AFC North team, in another highly anticipated battle.
