The Kansas City Chiefs made a statement against the Baltimore Ravens to kick off the regular season on Thursday night.
In an effort to kickstart the team’s quest for a third consecutive Super Bowl win, the Chiefs defeated the Ravens 27-20 in Week 1.
While the Chiefs thrived on Thursday night, the Ravens raised many questions, headlined by unexpected offensive struggles.
Here are five observations from the regular season opener in Kansas City.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens Instant Observations
Xavier Worthy’s Emergence Adds New Dimension to Chiefs Offense
When the Chiefs traded away star wide receiver Tyreek Hill in 2022, many questioned the decision. Following Thursday night’s performance, it seems like Xavier Worthy could be Hill’s long-awaited replacement in Kansas City.
The Chiefs had just four touchdowns of 20+ yards last season. In Worthy’s first regular season game, he scored two touchdowns of 20+ yards by himself.
TOUCHDOWN NUMBER 2 FOR 1‼️ pic.twitter.com/f6RohvdXNi
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 6, 2024
It’s clear that Worthy’s game-breaking speed is going to be an issue for the rest of the NFL.
Worthy finished his regular season debut with three total touches for 68 yards and two touchdowns.
Baltimore’s Offensive Line Could Not Hold the Chiefs Back
The Ravens struggled to find an answer early against the Chiefs’ stout defense. Lamar Jackson was seemingly running for his life on nearly every play, and the Ravens emphasized the screen game to jumpstart the team’s passing attack.
Although Jackson was only sacked once, he was constantly forced out of the pocket and forced to make plays with his legs.
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Jackson showcased his game-breaking speed with 16 carries for 122 rushing yards.
Baltimore’s offensive line struggled to generate much of a push in the running game, though. Ravens star running back Derrick Henry averaged just 3.5 yards per carry against the Chiefs.
Kickoff, Illegal Formations, Other Rules Bring Refs Into Fold
The NFL’s new kickoff rules were on full display on Thursday night, although likely not in the way that the league envisioned.
The dynamic kickoff was supposed to incentivize more kickoff returns in 2024, yet only two kickoffs were returned on Thursday night.
Additionally, the NFL announced this offseason that illegal formations were going to be an emphasis moving forward. That was clearly the case in this matchup, as both teams were penalized for that infraction in Week 1.
And on the final play of regulation, the refs originally ruled that Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely hauled in a touchdown that could have tied the game, or led to Baltimore going for the win with a two-point conversion attempt. Yet, a review of the play revealed that Likely landed with his toes out of bounds.
Changing of the Guard at TE? Likely Shines As Andrews Fades
Despite Likely’s unfortunate foot placement on the final play of the game, he enjoyed a breakout performance against the Chiefs.
While former All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews struggled to get things going for the Ravens, Likely stepped up.
Likely hauled in nine receptions for 111 yards and one touchdown. Andrews’ performance was disappointing, and Likely will surely be a focal point of Baltimore’s offense moving forward.
Dating back to last season, Likely now has at least one TD reception in five of his last six regular-season games. If you include the playoffs, then it’s at least one TD catch in six of his last eight games.
Rashee Rice Thrives Despite Chaotic Offseason
After a chaotic offseason involving multiple off-field incidents, many questioned if Chiefs second-year wide receiver Rashee Rice would even play in Week 1.
Despite all of the distractions off the field, Rice thrived on the field against the Ravens.
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Rice led the Chiefs with seven receptions for 103 receiving yards as Mahomes peppered him with targets.
While star tight end Travis Kelce struggled to find his usual groove, Rice served as Mahomes’ security blanket against Baltimore.
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