Ravens versus Chiefs Takeaways

Tyler Stearns

The Ravens and Chiefs started the NFL season tonight with a great game. The Chiefs won 27-20 on a last-second stop, whereas Baltimore Tight End Isaiah Likely was slightly out of bounds in the end zone during the game's final play. The match was filled with great offensive and defensive play, with QBs Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson stealing the show.

Patrick Mahomes and Nnamdi Madubuike, Via The Hollywood Reporter

The Chiefs looked amazing in the first half and throughout the first three quarters. They played well defensively, stopping Jackson and Co. multiple times and holding them to a measly ten points. The offense was firing on all cylinders, with the big three playmakers Rashee Rice, Travis Kelce, and Isaiah Pacheco all dominating. They also took advantage of rookie Xavier Worthy's speed by putting him in positions to score. He made the best of these opportunities, getting two touchdowns.

After the third quarter, though, the Ravens started to show a bit of life. They scored early in the fourth with an amazing 49-yard pass to Isaiah LIkely where he evaded defenders and made his way down the sideline. They gave up a touchdown but quickly bounced back with a field goal. After making a stop with two minutes to go, they got the ball and set up for a two-minute drill. They successfully made their way down the field, fueled by Jackson's elusiveness in the pocket and his deep throw to Rashod Bateman. But they couldn't get it done on the ten-yard line, as Jackson missed an open Zay Flowers on one play and Likely's foot was ruled out of bounds on the final play of the drive, resulting in a Chiefs win.

The Ravens looked like a different team than last year, most notably on defense. The secondary massively regressed, even without too much personnel change. A lot of that can be attributed to the new blitz-heavy 3-4 scheme that differs slightly from MacDonald's last year, however, there were a lot of miscommunications and coverage breaks. The front seven looked good, though, stopping the run consistently and not allowing too much underneath. As for the offense, they started fast on the first drive, but stalled afterward and only put up 6 on the board again in the fourth. But Lamar was amazing tonight, shifting away from defenders, finding holes in designed runs, and throwing the ball downfield. Derick Henry looks to be a nice addition, and will especially help them in situations where they need to get short yardage. Overall, they look like a team that will compete in the playoffs, but they need a second to find their footing.

As for the Chiefs, they looked great throughout the whole game. Even in the end, where they were struggling defensively, they made a crucial red zone stop to put the game to bed. The offense flourished and improved with the added weapons. Mahomes will have a lot less pressure to create more time in the pocket for receivers to find space, as either Worthy, Rice, and Kelce are going to be open most of the time. The only thing that needs to be improved is the run game, as Pacheco couldn't find much space. Overall though, the playcalling was sensational and the defense was physical. It isn't a long shot to say that KC will win their third Super Bowl in a row with relative ease.