A tiny nudge to the toe by Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely made the difference between overtime in the first game of the NFL season and the Kansas City Chiefs’ first win of the year.
On the final play of the game, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens needed a touchdown to force overtime, and he threw a strike to Likely, who secured the ball and tried to get in with both feet.
However, upon inspection, it turned out that Likely’s toe had touched the baseline and he was therefore out. The game ended dramatically and ended 27:20 in favor of the home team.
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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) scores a touchdown against Baltimore Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison (40) in the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)
The Chiefs are looking to make NFL history this season as the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls, and on the night of their newest banner unveiling, they did what needed to be done — and got a little lucky, too — to start off on the right foot.
Earlier this year, the Chiefs defeated the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game to advance to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, and this time they continued their dominance at home in Kansas City.
And while Patrick Mahomes worked his usual magic on the football field as the Chiefs’ quarterback, it was his new weapon, rookie speedster Xavier Worthy, who really shone in his NFL debut.
One of the reasons the Chiefs are expected to make more explosive plays this season is Worthy, the new record holder in the 40-yard dash after posting a time of 4.21 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine.
That speed was immediately apparent in this game, as he only touched the football three times, but two of them resulted in touchdowns.
The Chiefs needed just four plays to get into scoring zone on their first drive of the season, and Mahomes found his sophomore receiver, Rashee Rice, who had two catches for 27 yards, his last a 16-yard catch-and-run with a horse-collar tackle that added another 15 yards.
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Then the ball landed for the first time in the hands of rookie receiver Xavier Worthy, the new record holder in the NFL Combine 40-yard dash, and he did not disappoint, showing off his incredible speed as he worked his way around the Ravens defense into the end zone and scored a 21-yard touchdown run – his first touchdown in the NFL.
The Ravens, however, were the first to score a touchdown in the new year, with their new signing, running back Derrick Henry, scoring his first end zone touchdown as a Raven from five yards out.
After that hot start, the Chiefs and Ravens both punted on their next drives, but then we saw our first turnover of the new year.
Chris Jones, the Chiefs’ star defensive tackle who had been causing havoc all game, penetrated the backfield and forced the ball out of Jackson’s hands on the first play of the Ravens’ third drive. That gave the Chiefs a chance to score another touchdown, but Juju Smith-Schuster, who returned to the Chiefs this offseason, couldn’t catch the ball at the goal line.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) battles Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (98) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)
Harrison Butker scored his first field goal of the year to give Kansas City the lead.
Kansas City held on to that lead for the rest of the game as Baltimore just couldn’t get going on the way to the league’s best finish last season (though their final drive kept things interesting). Justin Tucker, who struggled to rush for 50-plus yards last season, missed his first field goal of the year from 53 yards.
And despite intercepting Mahomes late in the first half, the Ravens had to settle for a field goal and went into the locker room with a three-point deficit (13-10).
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The Chiefs took a lead on their first drive of the second half, as Mahomes took the lead with a six-play, 81-yard drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Pacheco.
But even though the Ravens have struggled on offense, we all know it only takes one play to turn things around, and that’s exactly what happened when Jackson simply threw the ball up to Isaiah Likely, the Ravens’ tight end who shined last year in place of an injured Mark Andrews.
He likely secured the pass while linebacker Nick Bolton was clutching him, and he began to put the Chiefs behind. After getting around Bolton, he found a couple of blocks and took off running. Just before the goal line, he slammed on the brakes and ran into the end zone, scoring a 49-yard touchdown that made the game a three-point game again.
Worthy’s second touchdown, however, came immediately after Baltimore felt renewed momentum on its sideline, as Marlon Humphrey thought he had help from the safety over the top, and Mahomes did not miss his rookie on the right side as he danced into the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown.
The Ravens cut the lead to seven points with another field goal from Tucker and managed to regain the ball at the two-minute warning to tie the game or maybe even win it.
Patrick Mahomes (15), starting quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, drops back to pass in the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field of Arrowhead Stadium. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)
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Baltimore fought its way forward as Jackson began to pick apart the defense by finding Likely, who set a career high with 111 passes on nine catches in the game. Then things got exciting when Rashod Bateman caught a 38-yard pass that landed at the Kansas City 10-yard line.
On the second attempt with ten seconds left, Jackson danced around the pocket and threw a pass to a completely free Zay Flowers, who threw behind him. Then came the Likely mishap that ended the Ravens’ night in heartbreak.
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