The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 27-20, on Thursday night in a game that came down to the wire between two of the top teams in the NFL.
Trailing by seven points at the Chiefs' 10-yard line with five seconds remaining on the clock, Ravens' quarterback Lamar Jackson found tight end Isaiah Likely for what appeared to be a touchdown in the back of the end zone. The play pulled Baltimore within a single point, and with no time left in regulation, the Ravens took the field with the intent of going for the two-point conversion and the win.
A subsequent video review revealed that Likely's right toe landed just barely out of bounds, however, and the ruling on the field was overturned. The game was over, and despite a rollercoaster of emotions over the final few minutes, the Chiefs escaped with a thrilling victory.
"It was two heavyweights in a fight right down to the end," said Head Coach Andy Reid. "When they say it's a game of inches, it might be shorter than that."
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 20-of-28 passes for 291 yards and a touchdown in the game, leading Kansas City on a five-play, 67-yard touchdown drive midway through the first quarter that tied the score at seven points apiece.
Rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy was ultimately responsible for the touchdown, which covered 21 yards in the blink of an eye as the speedy Worthy – whose 4.21 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine marked the fastest recorded time in the history of the event – took a quick end-around for an electric score on his first career touch.
It was part of a big night for Worthy, who also hauled in a 35-yard touchdown catch deep down the sideline later in the game. Overall, the former first-round pick tallied 68 yards and two scores on just three touches in his first career game as a professional.
"He's so cool, calm and collected all the time. You never even see the excitement [from] him, but he goes out there and makes plays," Mahomes said. "Obviously, we want to continue to use him more and more. I thought he had a great day today making big plays in big moments. It was good to get the whole offense going and kind of see where everybody's at."
Worthy's second touchdown extended the Chiefs' lead to double-digits early in the fourth quarter, but Baltimore didn't go away. The Ravens pulled within a touchdown following a field goal by kicker Justin Tucker late in the game, setting the stage for Jackson's final pass to Likely as time expired just a few minutes later.
It initially appeared as if Baltimore had completed the comeback, but as the replays began to roll, the energy within GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium flipped in an instant. The call was overturned, and following a back-and-forth battle between two of the top teams in the league, the Chiefs emerged with the hard-fought victory.
In terms of standouts, wide receiver Rashee Rice hauled in seven catches for 103 yards over the course of the night. His efforts included a 16-yard grab on the Chiefs' opening scoring drive, plus a 33-yard catch-and-run that extended another touchdown drive early in the third quarter.
Defensively, the Chiefs held Baltimore to a 1-for-4 mark in the red zone. In fact, following the Ravens' touchdown drive on their opening series of the game, Kansas City yielded just 13 points on Baltimore's ensuing nine possessions.
It all helped the Chiefs kick off their title-defense campaign with a victory, and now with an extended break before their next game, Kansas City will take a few well-deserved days off before preparing for a clash with the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday.
