The 2024 NFL season is underway and what a way to start. The Kansas City Chiefs began their campaign for a historic Super Bowl three-peat with a thrilling 27-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on opening night on Thursday. The game came down to the wire, with a controversial call on the final play denying the Ravens a touchdown and giving the Chiefs a dramatic victory.
Here are the four main takeaways from the first game of the new NFL season.
Mahomes and Jackson Deliver Fireworks
With Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson on the field, we expected fireworks from the two star quarterbacks. And they did not disappoint. In what was a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship game, Mahomes was his usual brilliant self, providing the poise, accuracy and off-the-cuff plays that have become synonymous with the three-time Super Bowl champion. Although he did throw an out-of-character interception, Mahomes was stellar in an evening when he became the Kansas City’s all-time leader in passing yards, passing Len Dawson.
On the other side, Jackson – the reigning NFL MVP – put in an equally impressive performance in his own ‘Lamar Jackson’ style. Yes, the Ravens star committed some errors as the game came to a close, but he had sprinkled his magic throughout the contest, with his combination of throwing from awkward angles and running ability. Jackson, who revealed he had lost some weight during the offseason to become a more dynamic runner, was electric with the ball in his hands during scheduled runs or when plays broke down. He finished the evening with 122 rushing yards, the team’s leading rusher by far ahead of Derrick Henry who was quiet on his debut with 46 yards on the ground.
Both Mahomes and Jackson began the season as the favorites to contend for the MVP award this season, and Thursday’s duel does nothing to change that.
Worthy Makes an Instant Impact
The Chiefs offense has been lacking speed ever since Tyreek Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2022. And in first-round rookie Xavier Worthy, they might have just found Hill’s replacement. The first-year wide receiver had a debut to remember on Thursday night with two touchdowns, both of which highlighted his electric speed.
Worthy – who broke the NFL Combine 40-yard dash record at 4.21 seconds earlier this year – scored with his very first touch in the NFL, taking an end-around 21 yards to the house as he showcased his blazing speed, clocking in at 18.45mph during the run. Then with 10:25 left in the fourth, he caught a 35-yard pass from Mahomes for a touchdown, ultimately sealing the game for the two-time defending champs.
Worthy became only the second player ever to post 20-plus-yard rushing and receiving touchdowns in his NFL debut, joining Minnesota Vikings wide receiver James Brim who did so in 1987, per the NFL. The former Texas Longhorn, who was selected with the 28th pick in the 2024 Draft, called his first touchdown a “crazy” moment for him.
“We ran that in the preseason, and I fumbled. So it was kind of bad, but for them being able to have that trust in me [was great],” he said afterwards. “I told [offensive coordinator Matt] Nagy that I think this play is going to score and it happened. So it was an amazing moment my first touchdown in the NFL.”
Although he finished Thursday’s game with just three touches, Worthy’s speed could help to open up a Chiefs offense which lacked explosiveness last season. And Mahomes spoke after the victory about Worthy’s impact on other players’ ability to create space.
“You saw when he’s out there, they are playing shell coverages,” he told reporters. “It’s getting guys like [Travis Kelce] and guys like Rashee [Rice] open underneath. That’s what is so great about this offense. We are able to do all of that and that’s when we are at our best. So, when we get Hollywood [Brown] out there too, it’s going to be tough for defenses to decide who they want to cover.”
Likely Steps Up for Ravens
The perennial question for the Ravens has been the same for a while: can they surround Jackson with enough surrounding talent to win a Super Bowl? The drafting of Zay Flowers last year and the signing of Henry in the offseason looked to have helped address that issue. But perhaps one of the team’s in-house players could prove key this season. Tight-end Isaiah Likely had an evening to remember on Thursday against the Chiefs, as he became Jackson’s primary target as the game went on.
The third-year player finished with career highs in catches (nine) and receiving yards (111), including a brilliant 49-yard touchdown in which he evaded a defender and made a catch before sprinting down the sideline and stopping abruptly to let another Chiefs player fly past before walking into the endzone. Likely had a chance to be the Ravens’ hero on the night too as time expired when he appeared to make a catch in the endzone to tie the game; unfortunately, for the 24-year-old and Baltimore, his toe was deemed out of bounds and the touchdown was waved off.
Jackson has long relied on Likely’s fellow tight-end Mark Andrews for production at the position, but if Likely can continue his excellent start, he could add another element to Baltimore’s offense.
Chiefs Defense Remains a Force
As the Chiefs offense struggled last year, its defense was the key factor in the team’s Super Bowl victory last season. Led by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo – the only coordinator in NFL history to win four Super Bowls – the group has become one of the most dominant in the league. Although the Ravens piled up plenty of yards, Spagnuolo’s defense showed that they are still a force to be reckoned with, providing enough stops to let Mahomes and the offense bring it home.
As he has so often been, defensive tackle Chris Jones was the standout performer. He finished with just three tackles, but he forced a fumble and got one sack, consistently pressuring the Ravens and disrupting plays. There had been concerns about the Chiefs secondary after the departure of cornerback L’Jarius Sneed in the offseason, but third-year player Trent McDuffie more than lived up to the billing on Thursday. McDuffie had a rough start but grew into the game, including making an important fourth-down tackle late on. If the newly revamped Chiefs offense can improve this season and the team’s defense can continue to be a game-wrecker, it looks like Kansas City will once again be the team to beat in the NFL this year.
