The first game of the season ended dramatically. While it came down to the wire, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens 27-20. The matchup between the top two teams in the AFC in 2023 was exciting. The first half featured a back-and-forth race between both teams, with the Chiefs pulling ahead in the third quarter. Down 27-20 in the fourth quarter, and with the ball in Lamar Jackson's hands, the Ravens had the chance to either send the game into overtime or take the win. First, Jackson missed a wide-open Zay Flowers in the end-zone, and then the pass to Isiah Likely was perfect, but Likely was out of bounds by one toe.
While the Chiefs prevailed in the game, there were certainly many mistakes on the field. After the loss, Jackson expressed his disappointment in his performance against the Chiefs. To date, the Ravens have dropped five out of six games against the Chiefs in the Patrick Mahomes and Jackson era. If these two teams meet again in the playoffs this year, there is a lot of unfinished business for each team to finish.
Knocking the Rust Off
It was clear that Mahomes was slightly rusty in this first game. While Mahomes could keep the Chiefs ahead once they had a lead, his stats weren't exceptional. Mahomes finished the game with 291 pass yards, along with one touchdown. He had a completion percentage of 71.4 and a QBR of 65.9.
Mahomes also threw a brutal interception and had to deal with three drops. While the Ravens could not capitalize on these opportunities, giving an explosive offense, this type of leeway is dangerous. As the game progressed, Mahomes was able to hold on to the ball and continue to be a great leader for the team. No matter the pressure, he was able to keep the Chiefs afloat.
Mahomes will need to ensure that this rustiness does not happen in future games, especially with some of the teams they will be facing in the coming weeks. The Chiefs must be as competitive as possible against teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and the San Francisco 49ers.
Fastest Man in the Game
As game day approached, the hype for the newest Chiefs wide receiver, Xavier Worthy, grew even bigger. While it is only his rookie year, and he is not going to be targeted as much as some of the team's veterans, Worthy made his presence known in the first game.
In his first NFL regular season game, Worthy caught a TD and a rushing TD. He was able to do this while only being targeted three times. Worthy became only the second player to score 20-plus-yard receiving and rushing touchdowns in his NFL debut. He joins Minnesota Vikings receiver James Brim as the only player to mark this feat.
For the coming weeks, the rookie will certainly encounter bumps in the road. His three targets in week one tell us that they will be taking it slow but allowing him to develop properly. Of course, the fact that he clocked 18.45 mph during his rushes makes him look all the more threatening.
The End of an Era?
While it certainly won't happen now, this game showed that the Chiefs can win without constantly targeting Travis Kelce. While he was always Mahomes' first option to throw to, Kelce was only targeted four times in this game. Backup tight end Noah Gray was targeted three times in the game. While it's safe to say Mahomes can trust his wide receivers more this season, it is still uncommon for him not to target Kelce.
Last season, Kelce struggled in the second half before returning to form in the playoffs. As he nears his age-35 season, there will definitely be more signs of his age catching up to him. Drafting Jared Wiley this season is the first step forward in creating another plan once Kelce is done.
In other words, this could be a better situation for Kelce. The fact that he is not the only reliable receiver for Mahomes at this point allows him to focus on other aspects of his game. Having several receivers who can catch for high yardage allows the entire team to get better and can play a large role in getting the team back to the Super Bowl.
Defense, Defense, Defense
Just like last season, the defense was crucial to the Chiefs' win. While I mentioned that the defense's lack of depth might be something to watch out for in the game, the defense gave it their all. Chris Jones, Trent McDuffie, and the rest of the defense consistently pressured the Ravens' offense, allowing just 20 points to a formidable team.
Offensive tackle Jones was the standout performer, as he usually is. Although he only finished with three tackles, he was able to force a fumble and get a sack. Although McDuffie had a weak start to the game, he grew with the game and made some important tackles.
While the defense was spectacular, one of the biggest storylines came from Spagnuolo. According to many rules throughout the NFL, only head coaches and players in the game are allowed to call timeouts. This means that assistant coaches are not allowed to call timeouts. Right before halftime, Spagnuolo called a timeout because he did not like the look of his defense, and it has since gone viral for all the wrong reasons. Why did the refs allow Spagnuolo to go through with this if this isn't allowed?
Up Next: Cincinnati Bengals
On Sunday, September 15th, the Chiefs will host the Cincinnati Bengals and quarterback Joe Burrow at Arrowhead Stadium. Since Burrow took over, the Bengals have been a thorn in the Chiefs' side for years, and they look to win their fourth game since 2022.
As long as the offense can keep up against the Bengals, the team should have no trouble pushing forward. The combination of their top defense and this dangerous new-look offense makes the Chiefs look scary once again.
Final Score: Chiefs 27, Ravens 20
Jones' Three Stars
1st Star - Xavier Worthy
Receiving: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 47 yards, 1 TD
Rushing: 1 carry, 21 yards, 1 TD
2nd Star - Rashee Rice
9 targets, 7 receptions, 103 yards
3rd Star - Isiah Pacheco
15 carries, 45 yards, 1 TD
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