Chiefs vs. Ravens: Lessons learned from Kansas City's win over Baltimore in the 2024 NFL season opener

CNN
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The 2024 NFL season is underway – and what a start.

The Kansas City Chiefs began their campaign for a historic three-game Super Bowl with a thrilling 27-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on opening night Thursday.

Here are the four most important takeaways from the first game of the new NFL season.

With Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson on the field, we expected fireworks from the two star quarterbacks.

And they didn't disappoint us.

In a rematch of last season's AFC Championship game, Mahomes was brilliant as always, delivering the poise, precision and spontaneous plays that have become synonymous with the three-time Super Bowl winner.

Despite throwing an uncharacteristic interception, Mahomes delivered an outstanding performance that night, surpassing Len Dawson, Kansas City's all-time passing yards leader.

On the other hand, Jackson – the reigning NFL MVP – delivered an equally impressive performance in his own “Lamar Jackson” style.

Yes, the Ravens star made some mistakes late in the game, but he worked his magic throughout the game by combining shots from difficult angles and running talent.

Jackson, who admitted to losing some weight during the offseason to become a more dynamic runner, was electrified with the ball in his hands on planned runs or when the play wasn't working out.

He finished the night with 122 rushing yards, making him the team's best runner, far ahead of Derrick Henry, who was rather unremarkable in his debut with 46 yards on the ground.

Both Mahomes and Jackson started the season as favorites for the MVP award and Thursday's duel does not change that.

The Chiefs' offense has lacked pace since trading Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in 2022. And with first-round rookie Xavier Worthy, they may have just found a replacement for Hill.

The first-year wide receiver had a memorable debut on Thursday night with two touchdowns, both of which highlighted his electrifying speed.

Worthy, who broke the 40-yard dash record at the NFL Combine earlier this year with a time of 4.21 seconds, scored on his very first touchdown in the NFL, running a 21-yard end-around to the finish line while showcasing his tremendous speed, clocking in at 18.45 miles per hour.

Then, with 10:25 left in the fourth quarter, he caught a 35-yard pass from Mahomes for a touchdown, winning the game for the two-time defending champions.

According to the NFL, Worthy was only the second player ever to record more than 20 yards rushing and receiving touchdowns in his NFL debut, after Minnesota Vikings wide receiver James Brim did the same in 1987.

The former Texas Longhorn, who was selected 28th in the 2024 draft, called his first touchdown a “crazy” moment for him.

“We did that in the preseason and I fumbled. So it was kind of bad, but it was important for them to be able to put that trust in me. [was great]”, he said later. “I said [offensive coordinator Matt] Nagy, I think that play will get me a point, and that's what happened. So it was an incredible moment, my first touchdown in the NFL.”

Although he finished Thursday's game with just three touches, Worthy's speed could help boost a Chiefs offense that lacked explosiveness last season.

And Mahomes spoke after the win about Worthy's impact on other players' ability to create space.

“When he's out there, they've seen them play shell coverage,” he told reporters. “You'll see guys like [Travis Kelce] and guys like Rashee [Rice] open at the bottom.

“That's the great thing about this offense. We are able to do all of that and that's when we're at our best. So if we get Hollywood, [Brown] Even out there, it will be difficult for the defense to decide who to cover.”

For the Ravens, the question that keeps coming up has been the same for some time: Can they surround Jackson with enough talent to win a Super Bowl?

The signing of Zay Flowers last year and the signing of Henry in the offseason seemed to have solved that problem, but perhaps one of the team's internal players could prove to be a key player this season.

Tight end Isaiah Likely had a memorable night against the Chiefs on Thursday as he became Jackson's primary target throughout the game.

The third-year player finished the game with career highs in catches (nine) and receiving yards (111), including a brilliant 49-yard touchdown in which he evaded a defender and caught a ball before sprinting down the sideline and stopping abruptly to let another Chiefs player fly by before heading into the end zone.

He probably had a chance to be the Ravens' hero that night when he caught a pass in the end zone as time expired, tying the game. Unfortunately for the 24-year-old and Baltimore, his toe was ruled out of bounds and the touchdown was disallowed.

Jackson has long relied on Likely's tight end colleague Mark Andrews for production at the position, but if Likely can continue his excellent start, he could add another element to Baltimore's offense.

The Chiefs defense remains impressive

While the Chiefs' offense struggled last year, their defense was the key factor in the team's Super Bowl victory last season.

Led by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo – the only coordinator in NFL history to win four Super Bowls – the group has become one of the most dominant in the league.

While the Ravens were able to gain plenty of yards, Spagnuolo's defense showed they were still a force to be reckoned with, stopping enough attacks to allow Mahomes and the offense to pull out the win.

As is often the case, defensive tackle Chris Jones was the standout player, finishing with just three tackles but forcing a fumble and managing a sack, constantly pressuring the Ravens and disrupting plays.

There had been concerns about the Chiefs' secondary following the departure of cornerback L'Jarius Sneed in the offseason, but third-year player Trent McDuffie more than lived up to expectations on Thursday.

McDuffie got off to a rocky start but improved as the game went on, including making a key tackle on fourth down toward the end.

If the Chiefs' revamped offense can improve this season and the team's defense continues to be game-winning, Kansas City should once again be the team to beat in the NFL this year.