A chip by Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely was the difference between overtime in the first game of the NFL season and the next. Kansas City Capt.“the first victory of the year.
The last play of the game has been seen Lamar Jackson and the Ravens needed a touchdown to force overtime, and he threw a strike to Likely, who secured it and tried to get two feet in.
However, upon review, Likely’s toe was on the baseline and he was ruled out of bounds, dramatically ending the game in favor of the home team, 27-20.
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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) scores a touchdown against Baltimore Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison (40) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Images by Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn)
Ravens coach John Harbaugh discussed Likely’s performance after the game, calling it a “gutsy game” in which he “made so many plays, especially down the stretch.” But that play will be talked about for a long time, as it looked like Harbaugh was gesturing to a two-point conversion to win.
The Chiefs are chasing NFL history this season as the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls, and on the night they unveiled their latest banner, they did what needed to be done — and ultimately saw a little luck fall their way — to get off to a good start (no pun intended).
Earlier this year, the Chiefs defeated The Crows in the AFC championship game to reach the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, and this time they kept that dominance alive at home in Kansas City.
And while Patrick Mahomes showed off his magic on the football field as the Chiefs’ quarterback, it was his new weapon, rookie speedster Xavier Worthy, who really shined in his NFL debut.
One reason the Chiefs are expected to have more explosive plays this season is Worthy, the new 40-yard dash record holder after running a 4.21-second dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
That speed was on display right away in this game, as he only had three touches on the ball, but two of them went for touchdowns.
The Chiefs needed just four plays to get into scoring territory on their first drive of the season, and era Mahomes hitting his sophomore receiver Rashee Rice, who had two catches for 27 yards, the last a 16-yard catch-and-run with a horse-collar tackle that added 15 more yards.
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Then, the ball went to rookie receiver Xavier Worthy, the new NFL Combine 40-yard record holder, for the first time, and he didn’t disappoint. His incredible speed was on full display as he rounded the Ravens defense and into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown run—his first NFL touch.
The Ravens, however, were the first to score a touchdown in the new year, and it was their new addition, running back Derrick Henrydiving from five yards out for his first trip to the end zone as a Raven.
After such a hot start, however, both the Chiefs and Ravens went for it on their next drives, but then we saw our first turnover of the new year.
Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, who has been causing chaos all game, came into the backfield and forced the ball out of Jackson’s hands on the first play of the Ravens’ third drive. That set the Chiefs up for another potential touchdown, but Juju Smith-Schuster, who joined the Chiefs this offseason, failed to handle a goal-line pass.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) scrambles against Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Tershawn Wharton (98) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Images by Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn)
Harrison Butker kicked his first field goal of the year to give Kansas City the lead.
It was a lead Kansas City wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the game, as Baltimore couldn’t quite get going as usual on their way to the league’s best record last season (though their final drive did make things interesting). Justin Tucker, who struggled from 50+ yards last season, missed his first field goal of the year from 53 yards out.
And despite taking Mahomes out late in the first half, the Ravens had to settle for a field goal to go into the locker room down three points, 13-10.
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The Chiefs built a gap with their first drive of the second half, as Mahomes led the way on a six-play, 81-yard drive that ended with a Pacheco score from one yard out.
But while the Ravens struggled on offense, we all know that it only takes one play to turn things around, and that’s exactly what happened when Jackson simply threw the ball to Isaiah Likely, the Ravens tight end who shined last year instead of the bad. Marco Andrews.
He likely secured the pass with linebacker Nick Bolton draped over him, and began to make the Chiefs miss. After getting around Bolton, he found a couple of blocks and started to streak downfield. He braked just short of the goal line and barreled into the end zone for a 49-yard touchdown that made it a three-point game again.
However, Worthy’s second touchdown came immediately after Baltimore felt the momentum on the sideline again, as Marlon Humphrey thought he had a safety helper over the top, and Mahomes didn’t miss his rookie on the right side as he barreled into the end zone for a 35-yard score.
The Ravens would cut the lead to seven with another Tucker field goal, and were able to get the ball back at the two-minute warning in an attempt to tie, or perhaps win, the game.
Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) returns a pass during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Images by Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn)
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Baltimore worked its way downfield as Jackson began to dissect the defense and find Probable. Then, things got fascinating when Rashod Bateman came up for a 38-yard reception to land on the Kansas City 10-yard line.
With second-and-goal and 10 seconds remaining, Jackson danced around the pocket and threw a pass to a wide-open Zay Flowers, but he threw behind him. Then the likely accident occurred, ending the Ravens’ night in heartbreak.
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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.