Chiefs beat Ravens by most interesting of margins in wild end to NFL season opener | NFL

Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and a landing, and the Kansas Metropolis protection saved Lamar Jackson and the Ravens out of the tip zone on three consecutive performs within the closing seconds, permitting the Chiefs to start their pursuit of a 3rd straight Tremendous Bowl title with a 27-20 victory over Baltimore on Thursday evening.

The sport ended with a video evaluation after Jackson appeared to attach with Isaiah Possible at the back of the tip zone with no time remaining for a landing. The video clearly confirmed Possible’s toe touchdown on the endline, although, and the decision was overturned, sending the Chiefs streaming off the bench in celebration.

“Clearly that was nerve-racking, it’s a recreation of inches, that’s what they are saying,” mentioned Mahomes after the sport. “[The Ravens are] a fantastic soccer workforce and to come back out and get a win at Arrowhead is a superb begin to the season … We received a whole lot of issues we’ve got to get higher at however that’s a fantastic begin.”

Xavier Worthy had touchdowns dashing and receiving, and Isiah Pacheco additionally had a TD run for the Chiefs.

“[Worthy] is a playmaker, it’s simply the beginning although, he’s going to be nice,” mentioned Mahomes.

The rookie out of Texas helped Kansas Metropolis win a rematch of final season’s AFC title recreation. The Chiefs additionally beat the Ravens for the fifth time of their final six conferences.

That lopsided ledger has been particularly irritating for Jackson, who has known as Kansas Metropolis the Ravens’ “kryptonite.” He was chic on Thursday evening, throwing for 273 yards and a landing whereas including 122 yards on the bottom, however the video evaluation on the ultimate play of the sport left him to rue one other missed probability to lastly upstage Mahomes and Co.

Jackson gave Baltimore an opportunity, too, after getting the ball again at his personal 13-yard line with 1:50 left and no timeouts.

He accomplished a few throws to Possible, who completed with 111 yards receiving and a rating, and scrambled on third-and-two for a primary down. Two performs later, Jackson zipped a go 38 yards to Rashod Bateman down the sideline that moved the Ravens to the Kansas Metropolis 10 with simply 19 seconds to go – loads of time for just a few photographs on the finish zone.

Jackson’s first go was a throwaway, however his second missed wide-open Zay Flowers at the back of the tip zone. Then got here the final throw, after Jackson had scrambled for what appeared like an eternity. Ravens coach John Harbaugh signaled that his workforce would attempt for a profitable two-point conversion, however they didn’t get that probability after the video evaluation.

The wild ending got here after the beginning was delayed about 20 minutes by a storm that introduced heavy rain and lightning.

The Ravens opened with an 11-play, 70-yard drive that ended when Derrick Henry, who tormented the Chiefs in six earlier conferences whereas he was with Tennessee, plunged into the tip zone from 5 yards out for the early lead.

However the high-octane Chiefs, making an attempt to keep away from dropping their opener in back-to-back years, wanted simply two minutes to supply a solution. Mahomes twice linked with Rashee Rice, who has thus far averted any NFL suspension for his position in a street-racing crash in Dallas, earlier than Worthy confirmed why the Chiefs made him their first-round decide with a 21-yard landing run.

After these two drives, the primary half was principally marked by Week 1 blunders.

Jackson was strip-sacked by Chris Jones deep in his personal territory, resulting in a subject purpose for Kansas Metropolis. Flowers was stopped wanting the first-down marker on fourth-and-three close to midfield on the Ravens’ subsequent sequence, main to a different subject purpose. And even Justin Tucker, one of many league’s most correct kickers, pulled a 53-yard field-goal try broad left.

The Chiefs weren’t resistant to errors themselves. Mahomes was picked off by Roquan Smith on a poor throw late within the first half, resulting in a chip-shot subject purpose that received Baltimore inside 13-10 on the break.

But the Ravens’ lack of ability to get into the tip zone, and swing the momentum their method, in the end proved expensive.

The Chiefs opened the second half with an 81-yard landing march to increase their lead. Then, after Jackson had linked with Possible for a 49-yard landing throw, Mahomes drove them 70 yards in opposition to the No 1 scoring protection within the NFL final season for a landing that made it 27-17 with 10 minutes to go.

Tucker made it a one-score recreation along with his subject purpose with 4:54 to go, and Baltimore rapidly compelled a punt. However, regardless of Jackson’s impassioned play, he was left to trudge off the sphere after one other disappointing loss to the Chiefs.