Chiefs edge Ravens in the 105th NFL season opener

The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs narrowly defeated the Baltimore Ravens 27-20 in the 105th NFL season opener on Thursday, following a video review that overturned a touchdown by the Ravens on the final play of the game.

In a highly anticipated rematch of last season's AFC Championship game, two-time NFL MVPs Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs and Lamar Jackson of the Ravens took the field as starting quarterbacks, delivering an exciting beginning to the season.

With 4:54 left in the game, Baltimore's Justin Tucker successfully kicked a 32-yard field goal, narrowing the score to 27-20. Shortly thereafter, Mahomes made a crucial play by catching his own deflected pass to avert an interception, allowing the Chiefs to punt and leaving the Ravens with 87 yards to cover for a potential tying touchdown.

In the closing moments, Jackson connected with Rashod Bateman on a 38-yard pass, positioning the Ravens at the Chiefs' 10-yard line. However, he was unable to complete two passes to open receivers in the end zone.

On the final play, Isaiah Likely of Baltimore caught a pass from Jackson in the back of the end zone, but his toe landed on the out-of-bounds line. The referees initially ruled it a touchdown, but the call was reversed upon video review, resulting in a dramatic victory for the Chiefs.

Mahomes aims to lead the Chiefs to an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title and a fourth championship in six seasons, while Jackson seeks to bring the Ravens their first Super Bowl victory since the 2012 season.

"It was nerve-wracking," Mahomes remarked. "It's a game of inches, as they say. That is a great football team, and to come out here and secure a win is a fantastic start to the season."

Mahomes completed 20 of 28 passes for 291 yards, along with one touchdown and one interception. He improved his record against Baltimore to 5-1 since becoming the starter in 2018, with a total of 14 touchdowns and three interceptions in those matchups.

"Our team responded well," Mahomes stated. "We have many areas to improve, but this is a strong beginning."

In a valiant effort, Jackson passed for 273 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing 16 times for 122 yards.

A significant thunderstorm caused a 20-minute delay in the kickoff, yet fans who took refuge from the lightning returned to their seats, cheering enthusiastically as the Chiefs emerged for their pre-game warm-ups. Among those who sought shelter was renowned singer Taylor Swift, who is in a relationship with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

The Baltimore Ravens commenced the game with an impressive 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive, culminating in a five-yard scoring run by new running back Derrick Henry just 6:46 into the match.

Kansas City quickly responded with a five-play, 67-yard drive that concluded with rookie receiver Xavier Worthy scoring on his first NFL touch, a 21-yard run around the right side, leveling the score at 7-7.

In the second quarter, Chris Jones sacked quarterback Jackson, and Kansas City's Felix Anudike-Uzomah, a defensive end of Nigerian heritage, recovered the ball at the Ravens' 14-yard line. This set up a 32-yard field goal by Harrison Butker, giving the Chiefs a 10-7 advantage.

Kansas City then forced a turnover on downs at midfield, and shortly thereafter, Mahomes evaded three defenders to connect with Kelce on a 23-yard pass, making Mahomes the Chiefs' all-time leader in passing yards, surpassing Len Dawson's record of 28,507 yards in 183 games with 86 games remaining.

Butker added a 31-yard field goal five plays later, extending Kansas City's lead to 13-7. Just before halftime, Tucker's 25-yard field goal brought Baltimore closer, making the score 13-10.

Mahomes orchestrated a six-play, 81-yard touchdown drive to open the second half, resulting in a 10-point lead for Kansas City after Isiah Pacheco's one-yard touchdown run.

However, the Ravens responded on the first play of the fourth quarter when Jackson, under defensive pressure, found Likely at the Chiefs' 30-yard line. Likely evaded three defenders and sprinted down the sideline for a 49-yard touchdown pass, narrowing the score to 20-17.

In response, Mahomes led the Chiefs on a swift 70-yard drive in eight plays, culminating in a 35-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Worthy, extending Kansas City's lead to 27-17.