KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- There is always so much anticipation surrounding a matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs. There’s also usually an outcome that shouldn’t surprise anybody at this point. The Chiefs once again pulled out a victory in the 2024 Kickoff Game, this time by the score of 27-20. That is now five losses in six meetings for Baltimore in this series since Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson started squaring off against one another.
There will be a lot of talk about how thrilling the finish was in this contest. The final play of the game -- when Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely couldn’t keep his feet in bounds in the end zone after leaping to grab a Jackson pass -- was as exciting as it gets. What shouldn’t be forgotten is how Jackson twice missed open receivers on potential touchdown passes on the two previous plays. It’s moments like those that should make these defeats so frustrating for Baltimore.
The Ravens had the best team in the AFC last season and Jackson won his second Most Valuable Player award. They also wound up losing to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game in a contest that was as much about Baltimore melting down as it was about Kansas City’s brilliance. Thursday night’s game had the potential to tell us plenty more about what this Baltimore team can do. The most obvious takeaway was that the Ravens still have a penchant for blowing opportunities when the Chiefs are lined up across from them.
That’s the first lesson to be gleaned in the aftermath of this year’s NFL season opener. This edition of The First Read will delve even deeper into the biggest winners and losers in this contest. Here’s the rundown ...
Winners
Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice: If you’re giving out an award for Kansas City’s Offensive Player of the Game, the second-year wide receiver is a great place to start. He played with a level of physicality and confidence that reinforced what he displayed throughout training camp. It took Rice half a season to figure out how to play with Mahomes in this offense. A full offseason with the star quarterback now has given Rice an even greater sense of how to operate and how the Kansas City coaches can best utilize him. He was a monster on slants and deeper crossing routes Thursday night and led the team with seven receptions and 103 yards. There’s been a lot of speculation on when the league will address Rice’s offseason car-racing crash in Dallas, as he is subject to the NFL’s personal conduct policy and could face potential suspension. Until that happens, he’ll be causing plenty of problems for opposing defenses.
Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy: The Chiefs have been excited about Worthy’s growth this offseason after using a first-round draft pick on him in April. He proved in his debut why the hopes are so high for him. Worthy only touched the football three times against Baltimore, but two of those plays turned into touchdowns (a 21-yard run and a 35-yard catch). Even though the touchdown grab happened after a breakdown in coverage by the Ravens, you could see the sheer speed that head coach Andy Reid wants so desperately to inject back into this offense. There’s no doubt Worthy will go through his growing pains, as every rookie wideout does in Reid’s system. What isn’t in question is whether he’ll produce his fair share of jaw-dropping plays in his first season.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo: The Chiefs’ wily defensive coordinator mystified Jackson -- and Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken -- in last year’s AFC Championship Game, and Spagnuolo was in his bag once again on Thursday night. Yes, the Ravens produced some impressive numbers overall (including 452 total yards and 185 on the ground). The problem was that Jackson seemed lost for long portions of this contest, and Derrick Henry completely disappeared from the game plan in the second half. As much as the Ravens rallied in the final quarter to create an opportunity to get the win, there were too many times when they were operating in second- and third-and-long. That’s a credit to the strategy Spagnuolo created. He’s clearly in Jackson’s head these days -- this game was further evidence of that.
Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones: It’s amazing to think the Chiefs’ All-Pro defensive tackle only finished with three tackles and a sack. He seemed to be living in the Ravens’ offensive backfield for most of the first half, when Baltimore had no viable plan to negate his combination of size and quickness. Jones forced a fumble from Jackson in the second quarter (that Chiefs defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah ultimately recovered). Jones also hurried Jackson on several other dropbacks and played a key role in slowing Henry in the run game. At this time last year, Jones was sitting out the Chiefs’ season opener in the hopes of earning a new contract. He wound up signing that massive extension in the offseason and this was the first chance for him to prove why he’s worth every dollar in it.
Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely: It’s often hard to find winners in tough losses, but Likely’s performance shouldn’t be overlooked. He finished with a game-high nine catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. That score -- a 49-yard catch-and-run after Jackson escaped the pocket in the fourth quarter -- was a prime example of his athleticism and big-play ability. It felt like the Ravens didn’t know how to use Likely in the first half of this game, when they were noticeably unwilling to attack the middle of the field. They wound up feeding him in the second half, often on plays that targeted the perimeter. The Ravens clearly want to get the ball in the hands of Henry and wide receiver Zay Flowers. Likely made a strong case for being option No. 3 in that pecking order.
Losers
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson: You can’t argue with Jackson’s overall numbers (as he threw for 273 yards and ran for another 122). The problem was how poorly Jackson performed when the game was on the line. The first pass he missed to Likely on that final drive was egregious because the tight end had a step on Chiefs safety Brian Cook in the back of the end zone. Somehow Jackson threw a ball that soared over the head of the 6-foot-4 pass catcher and led to Likely getting banged up after landing awkwardly. The errant attempt to Flowers a play later was even worse. After scrambling to buy time, Jackson found Flowers in the back of the end zone and threw the ball at least 5 feet to Flowers’ right. Both of those plays were much easier than the one Jackson attempted to Likely as time ran out. Each one told us something about Jackson that he still can’t shake: As much as he’s grown as a passer over the years, he’s still not refined enough in that area to beat a team as good as Kansas City.
Ravens offensive line: It’s hard to know where to start here. We knew Baltimore had a real concern in this area because it lost three starters from last season and longtime offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris died last month. We couldn’t imagine what the situation was like until Thursday night, when Chris Jones was storming past hapless blockers play after play. Baltimore guards Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees both looked overmatched in this game. It also was a rough night for the incumbents, as veteran left tackle Ronnie Stanley was hit with three of the team’s five illegal formation penalties. It’s definitely strange to see Baltimore struggling with offensive line play. But that’s exactly where the Ravens are right now.
https://www.nfl.com/players/noah-gray/Ravens running back Derrick Henry: The whole point of acquiring Henry was to create fewer carries for Jackson. That wasn’t the case on Thursday, as Henry wound up with 13 rushing attempts, 46 yards and a touchdown. He really wasn’t a factor in the final two quarters and the offensive line issues should make people wonder if this won’t be a tougher transition than first imagined. The Chiefs were determined to not let Henry get loose, but the Ravens had no counterpunch when it came to play-action. That’s not a good look for a team that prides itself on being more physical than its opponents.
Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken: This game was another opportunity for the Ravens offensive coordinator to prove that he can take this attack to another level. The results were mixed, at best. Most of the good work the Ravens did on offense came down to Jackson’s magic, not overall scheming. There were too many plays that went east and west, as the Ravens hoped to probe the perimeter for big gains off quick throws. Some of that had to do with the offensive line problems. But you can’t dismiss Monken’s role in this. Spagnuolo outcoached him in last year’s playoffs and Monken didn’t fare any better in this one.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce: It was a quiet night for the future Hall of Famer, as he produced three catches for 34 yards. Just as telling was the fact that Kelce only had four targets in the game. The Chiefs offense has run through him for nearly all of the Mahomes era, but Thursday night felt like a sign of the times. Kansas City must start thinking about future options for whenever Kelce moves away from football -- he turns 35 on October 5 -- and Rice obviously is the front-runner to be Option A in this offense going forward. The Chiefs also utilized backup tight end Noah Gray more and there are high hopes for wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown once he returns from a shoulder injury. That doesn’t mean Kelce is done. It’s just a reality check. He struggled in the second half of last season before turning it on in the postseason. There may be more moments this year when we realize his best days are behind him.